The Forsaken
by Crimson Waterfall
Summary: DISCONTINUED The Gundam Pilots crash in the middle of a forest. Having no working equipment, they have to go back to basics to survive. Not realising that danger was on the lookout... 2x1? 3x4? R
1. Chapter 1

The forsaken 

Chapter one

'You alright Quatre!' Duo shouted to the back. He was in the cockpit of the plane they stole. Flying the heavy carrier. Beside him as a co-pilot, was Heero, his eyes closed, arms folded against his chest. He ignored his emotionless friend and once in a while took the time to take a look behind them, where Wufei, Trowa and Quatre where seated. The just barely gotten out of a fight they couldn't have won and he felt like a total loser. Not being able to defend himself without his Gundam. Heero had to save the day and it became a one man show. Heero fighting of guards. Heero busting down doors. Heero blowing up hangars. Heero salvaging one carrier for their escape.

The reason why they had to leave so quickly that noone even bothered that Heero was in the spotlight? Quatre got hit. Not hit by a fist, but by a bullet. And by the looks of it it was a mean one. They all had some scratches and skin that was grazed by bullets but the hole in Quatre's side looked more serious then all their wounds combined. Needless to say, everyone in the cockpit, able to feel emotions, was worried.

He scanned the other as thoroughly as he could without taking his eyes of the monitors and screens in the cockpit of the plane for to long. WuFei looked rather unscratched, the only visible wound was a long slash from his shoulder to his elbow, but from what Duo could gather, it wasn't a deep cut. Quatre's condition he knew off and he didn't want to look at his face going pale from loss of blood so he switched to Trowa. A Bullet had grazed his shoulder and there were many cuts in his jeans, blood colouring the pants. He had gotten the wounds from fighting of a pretty strong guy that slashed at them with his knives.

Then his eyes switched to Heero who sat, unmoving, next to him. Even though the man was up front in the lead, he looked alright. Wufei was the only one that had gotten better of then him. I could see some purple and blue bruised on his bare legs a small cut on his chest from when he had to help Trowa, being the hero of the day.

He himself also didn't look to bad. A couple of bruises, a cut on his forehead and his right ankle hurt a lot, but nothing that he couldn't lived with.

Relieved that they all lived, for know, he focused on flying the plain out of the hell hole that could explode any minute now from the bombs Heero hat put there. The base lay in the middle of now where, even with a plane it took more then three hours to get to the city and they were only in the air for five and already it looked like Quatre wasn't gonna be okay. Oh god, Quatre, please hang in there, he thought nervously. The controls of the plane in his hand shook. Turbulence, just what they needed, he told them to strap themselves in but Trowa refused to sit down as he was trying his best to bandage Quatre up and give him some antibiotics.

The plane shook hard and Trowa fell to ground, groaning, quickly standing up, only to fall on his face again. This turbulence wasn't normal... Duo looked around panicked, knowing that the lives of his only friends lay in his bloody hands. He heard some beeping noises, then more joined. He looked around, completely clueless, why were they beeping! SHIT! His sweat broke as his hands began to tremble more then the stick shook. What is you damn mother fucker!

'Engine 2B isn't responding.'

Had he asked that out loud? He looked to the side, surprised. Heero had moved. He was now sitting straight, arms unfolded, looking at all the flashing lights in the cockpit.

'Heero, you take over the controls, I hafta check out what wrong with the whiny thingy!' He shouted. Only barely heard because of some loud noise, probably made by the engine that wasn't working.

Heero simply nodded. Weird how he could stay so calm in such situations... He pushed some buttons and then grabbed the control stick in front of him, taking the plane over.

Duo rushed passed the others to the cargo room. He looked around, lost and almost sighed in relief as he saw their was a door at the left flank of the plane, from there he could see what the engine was doing. He ran to the door and cursed every word he knew for he couldn't open it. He pushed down all of his wait on the big red handle and finally it budged and the door shifted to the side, opening. He had to hold onto the door handle or else he would make a long fall. He was right under the wing and looked back at the engines with propellors that were attached to it. He cursed Heero for picking such an old, almost antique, aeroplane. This was bad... no, you don't get it, this was really bad. This was worse then waking up one morning after a good night sleep in your warm bed and notice the roof of your house is gone. This was more like waking up, finding no roof and seeing that aliens were destroying the world. Yeah... THAT bad. Engine two be was the outermost engine on the left wing and it looked like he had swallowed some bullets and only exploded once they were in the air for a while. The propeller had shifted and was hitting the other engine that hung next to it. In a fey minutes that engine would have been beaten to crap and they with crash, having no, properly working, engines on the left sides.

'Holy FUCK!' he screamed. He screamed again when a piece, that must have been important, broke off of one of the engines and was sent spiralling to his head. It was pure luck that he was able to dodge it, if he didn't his head would be rolling inside the cargo space and his body would fall forward, bungee jumping without a rope... and without a head...

He closed the door and for one moment he felt himself go really dizzy and really sick. They would crash, no matter what. But he pulled himself together and hastily got back to cockpit. Trowa and WuFei looked at him expectantly, hoping for good news, but their faces fell as they saw his terrified expression.

Duo got back into his seat and took the controls over from Heero. He didn't know why, they would be safer in Heero's hands... or... or maybe because when they DID survive he could blame it all on him? Was he really that cruel? He shook out all the unnecessary thought and this time ordered everyone to strap themselves in, tightly. This time all of them obeyed.

He looked at Heero and he felt like killing him for being so fucking calm. How in the world could anyone be calm when he and his friends were about to die! He knew Heero didn't give a shit about himself and he pitied the boy for that, but didn't he give a shit about them either?

'Tell me what's wrong with the engine.'

'It has no use WuFei, it's beyond repair.' If they weren't in the situation that they were in, everybody would have gasped in amazement. Duo called WuFei by his own name. It should be in the newspaper. For it was friggin' front page news. But the front page was already full of pictures of a crashed plane and the broken, mutilated, bodies of five young pilots.

'Just. Tell. Me.'

Not being able to refuse a 'request' from WuFei when he asked it like THAT he told him what was wrong. But it didn't give him any satisfaction that WuFei for once agreed to him. But the Chinese man had more sense in his head at the time then Duo did and went to the back, ordering Trowa to come with him. They came back with backpacks on their back.

'Food, water and some medication.' WuFei explained as he sat down again. Only now showing how nervous he was by fumbling with the hem of his long white shirt.

Their was no use in holding the controls. The plane was going down, fast. So fast they pushed into their seats, it was impossible trying to get out, they wouldn't come far. The plane spiralled down, since only the right side was being propelled they were making circles.

Duo couldn't help but compare it with a roller coaster ride for a second but he pushed that thought away. Actually, HE didn't push that thought away, the fear that flooded his head did. He closed his eyes, holding onto his seatbelt and screamed as he recognised the beeping that told them they were dangerously close to the ground.

The last thing he heard was the sound of metal breaking, things snapping. But that was only for a second or two. After that everything went black and silent...

Duo opened his eyes but still all he could see was black. He closed his eyes again, feeling a headache threaten to blow up his head. He grimaced at the thought of pieces of his skull and brain flying around in the... yeah, where was he? He opened his eyes again and was glad to notice that his vision was slowly returning to him. He saw... a window and beyond that... green, trees? He didn't know, his vision was to blurry to make it out. He tried to move but notice that his legs wouldn't budge. Fearing being paralysed he wiggled his toes. They worked just fine. He looked down and saw that his legs were stuck between his chair and the controller and monitors in front of him, now he remembered everything suddenly. The crash! How could he forget about THAT! He felt blood rushing to his head and vaguely wondered why and why his seatbelt was so tight around him, but the thought gave him a bigger headache.

Remembering that he, of course, wasn't alone on the plane he looked to the side... and screamed. He felt his head toll and his stomach turn at the sight only inches away from him.

Heero's bloodied face.

His vision had become clear and now that he took a second look the plane was upside down. AND tilted to the side. Which of course caused the blood rushing to his head and the straps pulling at him so roughly. But all that faded away at the sight of Heero. He didn't touch his chair anymore but the seatbelt kept him from falling to the floor, er... ceiling... And he was leaning to the side, thus, closer to Duo.

Duo swallowed. He definitely didn't feel good! He began to mumble incoherent words as he thought the boy which he had grew to love was dead. Dead and right beside him.

'Duo!' A heavy voice suddenly called.

He screamed again, was that Heero's ghost talking to him.

'It's me Maxwell.' The voice hissed.

'WuFei?' Again his real name, but he was to scared and dumbfounded to care. He made an effort to turn around and look at Wufei who 'sat' more like hung in the seat behind Heero.

His black eyes were shifting back and forth and Duo wondered why, was he that scared? He looked back at Heero and swallowed the lump in his throat but then... He saw Heero's chest heaving up and down. He was breathing! Shallow and uneven but he was breathing! He was alive! Thank god! God finally had showed some mercy on his poor being! He sighed in relief and then called for the others. Quatre didn't respond and he feared the worst but put those thoughts aside as he kept calling for Trowa.

'I don't thinks he's gonna wake up from you shouting at him.' Wufei commented dryly. Duo rolled his eyes at that, never hurts to try, ne, Chang?

'Get out of your seat Maxwell and give me a hand! There's something wrong with my eyes. I can't see.'

Can't see! Duo became more worried each passing second. He sighed and explained he couldn't get out since they were upside down and his legs were stuck. They'd have to wait for Heero or Trowa to wake up.

And that took a lot of time...

Finally, three hours of suffocating silence later they could here someone moan and move in his seat.

Duo opened his eyes and looked at Heero. It wasn't him, he was still lifeless. 'Tro? Tro, you awake?'

'No, it's me...' A pained voice answered and again moving behind him could be heard.

'Quatre? Are you okay? Hang in there buddy, it's gonna be okay...'

'Yeah right.' Quatre commented sarcastically, looking around, noting the mess they were in. 'How long since the crash?' He asked and moaned as his wound throbbed painfully.

'Don't know... four hours?'

'I think we were out cold longer then an hour Maxwell.'

'Geez Fei! Could you please fucking start calling me by my name!' Duo yelled. The frustration of being caught immobile was taking the best of him and he felt like he could explode. He was a ticking time bomb.

'I'm sorry... Duo, but you should listen to yourself.'

'stop quarrelling lovebirds.' Quatre ordered and chuckled at his own joke. Yeah, him and WuFei lovers... that was so unimaginable it was, indeed, kind of funny.

'Hey Quat?'

It took a while for the Arabian blonde to answer: 'Y-yes?'

Duo was becoming worried, he could already see Quatre's pale face in his mind. His wound and hanging up side down couldn't be good. Hang in there buddy, he thought. 'You're in the seat next to Trowa, right?'

'... yeah...' His voice sounded so small... Duo swallowed.

'Kick him.'

'What!' Apparently the blonde found enough strength to yell at him.

'Just do what I say Quatre!'

'I can't kick him! Are you crazy! What's gotten into you!'

'Kick. Him.' He hissed angrily. Didn't Quatre understand what he meant with that! Geez! What a team to strand with!

'No! You kick Heero! See how you'll feel about that!'

He really didn't get what he was trying to accomplish with kicking him. Naive stupid blonde cute guy, he mumbled inwardly 'Okay, don't kick him, but DO something to wake him up!'

'Oh... Why?'

'Because he is the only one that can get us out.'

Quatre looked sheepishly to the boy next to him and jostled his foot. No reaction. This time, he really kicked him against the shin. Still he got no reaction. He worried that he had to inflict more pain to wake him up. He looked at the back of Duo's head and his braid dangling down. He should have smiled at that. But he couldn't find the strength, not was he in the mood to smile. 'What about WuFei?'

Duo sighed and looked at WuFei, the Chinese man already told him the bad news and he waited for him to tell Quatre but he didn't. So Duo told him.

Quatre gasped and looked in remorse at WuFei who shamefully looked away. Probably thinking that he was now an honourless weakling.

'What about Heero? I don't want to hurt Trowa, trying to wake him up.'

Duo looked at Heero with a pained expression. His eyes were closed and his face was almost entirely covered with blood. He inspected him more thoroughly. He was covered in various small cuts, probably caused by the glass of the windshield, breaking in front of him. His tank top wasn't no longer green and he thought he didn't want to know how come. Added to that was his shallow and uneven breathing that made him worry.

'No.'

'Why not?'

The bomb inside him kept on ticking. Maybe even faster with Quatre who kept questioning him. 'Because he's in a pretty bad shape.' He ground out.

Quatre looked at Trowa and couldn't say the same about him. He looked almost the as when he gotten onto the plain. He decided that kicking him won't solve anything so with much effort and pain he brought his hand up and pinched his nose close. Trowa's mouth immediately opened and he covered that too, lightly.

It didn't take long before his eyes were fluttering open. Quatre removed his hand and smiled at the boy who looked around confused. Then, his eyes widened, realising everything that had just happened to him. He looked concerned at Quatre and then at the rest of the guys. He saw WuFei and Duo moving, but he wasn't sure if he could detect any signs of life with Heero.

'Don't worry, we're all alive... just... having difficulties getting out of our seats.'

Trowa immediately unbuckled his belt and Duo chuckled as the boy obviously hasn't noticed they were upside down and he fell on the... ceiling with a loud bang. He got up quickly, looking around completely clueless, never realising what hit him. Then he realised the plane was belly up and actually SMILED at his own stupid mistake.

'You'd think that out of all people Trowa should be able to figure out which side is up! But then again, he always did DEFY gravity with that hairstyle!' Duo joked. Not for the others, but for himself as the ticking of the bomb that had threatened to explode got softer. His bad mood slowly disappearing.

Trowa freed Quatre first and caught him carefully, minding his wound. He carried him out of the plane first and came back ten minutes later, obviously wanting to go back to Quatre soon. He unbuckled Duo and freed him gently from his chair. Duo's legs hurt and he could feel the short of blood in his feet but other then that his legs seemed fine. He wanted to stay in the cockpit, to help Trowa with Heero. Wanting to treat the boy like the china doll he thought he was but Trowa told him to go outside to Quatre, who was defenceless all alone. He nodded and after giving poor Hee-chan one last sad look He took WuFei's hand, and let him outside. It was difficult finding the exit since the whole plane with the corridors he had memorised was upside down and now left was right and right was left. But he made it outside and jumped the two meter distance between the exit and the ground.

'Jump WuFei, I promise I'll catch you in case you fall.'

WuFei sniffed 'I'm not a scared onna Maxwell.' He said and jumped off with ease. But as soon as he stood he sought for Duo's hand again and the braided smiled, gently squeezing the hand. Trying to reassure.

They walked to Quatre. He said with his back against the trunk of the tree and looked really tired... and pale. The bandage around his waist was soaked with the crimson fluid that dripped out his body. Slow but steady. They sat sown next to him and looked around. Trees for as far as the eyes could see and beyond.

Duo looked at the plain and realised they had been lucky. There was nothing left of the tail of the plain and there was a huge hole in the midsection. It was a miracle that the cockpit was in pretty good shape. He looked at WuFei in concern and crouched before him, taking hold of his face. 'Let me check on you.' He explained as Wufei tried to break free of his grasp.

'Don't, you lack the amount of brain required for it.' He said. Even more grumpy then usual. Everyone was probably a walking bomb and he didn't want to push any buttons or got some of his own buttons pushed on so he sat back down and sighed. Looking at the exit intensely, waiting for Trowa to come out with Heero but it took a long time and he was beginning to worry since he could look from his spot into the cockpit and they weren't there anymore.

He was about to get up and get into the plain, wanting to look for them when Trowa exited, holding Heero in his arms like a bride and duo could feel his face grow hot from jealousy. Especially since he noticed Heero was awake.

Trowa took hasty stepped towards him, his one visible eye reflecting the worry Duo felt. He lay Heero down carefully.

His blue eyes were wide open but they kept shifting, just like Wufei's had done when he was just awake. Was Heero also blind? No, it was something different. He was making sounds... words maybe? But they were incoherent and with his right hand he mindlessly fisted the sand beneath him. Duo looked up at Trowa, worried to no end.

'A concussion I think. He woke up when I was walking though the corridors and he started blabbering and stuff.'

'Is it bad?' WuFei asked, not even trying to look at what was going on. Duo admired WuFei for his strength and calmness, if he would find out he was blind, he would freak. He would go crazy and everybody would hear.

'I don't know.' Trowa said.

'What should we do?'

Trowa sighed and it took a while longer before he answered Quatre's question. He was thinking about it. Always as Heero wasn't there or something was wrong with him, leadership was passed on to him and he never really seem thrilled about that. Trowa looked at duo and strictly said: 'Just... let him get some sleep, that's all we can do right know and hope it will pass.'

'But I once saw on TV it bad to let people with a concussion sleep!' Duo protested.

'Yeah well it's also bad nothing getting him to a hospital like Quatre and WuFei, but that is all we can do right now!'

Wow... Duo didn't even know Trowa HAD buttons to be pushed...

'A plane... crashed in the middle of a forest isn't hard to find. Not for our allies. But it's even easier to find for our enemies, since they're probably coming over to check the damage on the base...' WuFei said softly. It sounded like he was talking only to himself, but what he said was useful and he was right 'We should get out of here.'

'We have to wait for Heero to wake up.'

Duo wasn't sure if Trowa said that because it was hard carrying him and Quatre AND leading the now blind WuFei or because he didn't want to be in charge.

He looked concerned at Heero, who seemed to sleep peacefully. All they could do was wait.

Not much longer then an hour after Heero opened his eyes and groaned, holding his head as a wave of painful headaches attacked his poor head. He looked around and wondered why everyone was looking so questioningly at him.

'What?'

Everyone sighed in relief. 'Thank god you're okay.' Duo was about to hug him but Heero moved away, not liking all the attention and the short distance between him and duo.

'Well, at least he is himself again.' Duo said, not sure if he should be happy with that, but it was better that having him lolling his head and babbling like a baby. That was such a turn off.

'What happened?' Heero asked, wondering how they got out of the plane. Duo explained it to him with a fast moving train of words and sentences that didn't quite cure his headache. He shut him up by raisin his hand. He looked at the others, scanning their bodies, no one seemed to be fatally injured except Quatre. The worst thing was Trowas right arm that he had been holding. It seemed to be broken. He wondered if the green eyed man was willing to let him fix it á-la-Heero, as Duo would call it.

Duo could feel his eye slightly twitching from the moment Heero had made that cocky gesture of raising his hand, asking without words to shut his mouth. He hated it when Heero made gestures that saved him the talking. Like he had a word limit... no more then three words a day or something. It bothered him. It bothered him even more that it bothered him. And it bothered him that he bothered it that it bothered him and... well, he could go on for ever but one thing was for sure: It bothered him.

Heero slowly got up and leaned over to WuFei, noting something is wrong. 'What is it?'

Oh-lala SIX words! Tick Tack Tick Tack...

'Blind...' WuFei quietly admitted and let Heero inspect him. Obviously he didn't thought Heero didn't have the 'amount of brain it required'. Jerks, Duo thought.

'You shouldn't worry.' Heero concluded with a monotone voice 'It is caused by the crash but it will lessen and then completely disappear. It isn't permanent.'

Wow wow wow! He actually lost count of his words! Yeah Duo was beginning to get more and more angry as Heero crouched besides Quatre, inspecting the boy who now slept, tired from blood loss. He eye was twitching again and he wondered since when his eye could twitch, maybe it was due to the crash? It didn't matter, it twitched, he was bothered, the bomb just kept on ticking as everyone adored Heero and worshipped him like some fucking God! While they didn't even think Duo had the 'amount of brain required' to inspect someone's health! Nice friends HE had!

'We need to get him to a hospital, fast.' Heero concluded the obvious.

BOOM. 'Wow Heero! Thank you! We didn't know that yet!' duo had exploded and it was going to be ugly and he KNEW he would eventually regret every word he said and was about to say but right now... it all just slipped past him. 'HEY! TROWA! Have you heard the merry news! Quatre is gonna die soon if we don't get him a doctor!'

Trowa looked at him with a weird look in his eye. Not trusting the situation. He looked at Heero, lost. That caused a second explosion in the braided man.

'HEERO! SAVIOUR of the day!'

'Duo, I didn't mean to mock you. I was just saying-'

'WELL DON'T! We already KNOW!' Duo stood up and threw his arms in the air. He had lost his mind but his 'friends' were probably not surprised since something that small must be easy to misplace! He hated to be the dumb guy on the team! And he hated Heero! Why? Well... don't ask confusing things right now!

'I AM JUST TRYING TO SHOW MY CONCERNS!' It seemed like something inside Heero had snapped as well and he stood up, trying to intimidate the braided man. It used to work, but not now. All of Duo's frustrations just... flew out.

'Well good for YOU!'

Qautre cringed at duo tone. That's got to hurt... He thought, looking at one very pissed off Maxwell and an equally angry Yuy.

'MAXWELL!' Heero shouted at the top of his lungs, but he didn't have anything to say. He turned on his heels and walked away trying to cool down, but Duo wouldn't give him the break.

Heero! HEERO! Why…AAAAHH! FUCK YOU!

Quatre whimpered at their shouting. He could never take it when people were shouting. It went straight through his bones...

'Heero, why don't you go walk or something.' WuFei suggested, not noticing Heero was already distancing himself from the rest. He felt nervous as he heard the dangerous perfect soldier reaching his limit. His hearing didn't tell him enough of his surroundings and that scared him.

'YEAH! Take a long walk off a short cliff BUDDY!' Duo added 'sweetly'.

'FINE!'

'... ARGH! ... Bite me!' Duo shouted, at loss of words but still wanting to shout.

Trowa grabbed him roughly at his upper arm, holding him still 'That's enough now, will you two please calm down!'

But his anger already slowly began to subside and he regretted the fight he had with Heero, who for the first time was only trying to show that he cared. He sighed and dropped down on the ground. Now they had to wait AGAIN. Wait till Heero was back since he was now already out of sight.

He waited an hour and a half and then impatience took the better of him and he ran of in the direction Heero had went in.

He ran for about forty five minutes, covering a great distance and he suddenly stopped, realising that if he didn't found Heero, he would be lost, for he couldn't remember the way back. He was dizzy and he wasn't sure if he had walked into a straight line. All his thought stopped as he heard the splashing of water. A sound very dear to him, very welcome, he had been DYING from thirst. He thirtily followed the sound and krept through some thick bushes and found what was making the sound.

He had found Heero.

In all his glory.

Okay, not ALL his glory, he was still wearing those stupid spandex but he had discarded the 'green' bloody tank top. He was sitting croushed at the edge of a water pond, filled with clear, clean water. His bare back facing duo, who was still hidden in the bushes. The Japanese seemed to be washing his face which was really needed since it was covered with blood.

Duo grinned and almost forget about the fight they had when he thought about jumping Heero, pushing him in the water along the way.

'Don't even think about it.' Heero's cold voice warned, not even turning around or stop washing his face.

Damn he was good. Hearing him come AND reading his thoughts. You have to give him some credit for that. He got out of his hiding and plopped down, at lack of better words, next to him and cupped some water into his hand. Drinking like a mad man.

'Heero?' He tentatively asked after his thirst was stilled.

'Hn.'

'I'm sorry I yelled at you.' He meant it, 'It was... uncalled for.' He said, trying his best to sound smart.

Heero turned his head to look at him for a while and them flashed a small smile.

... another headline story! Duo was speechless. Had Heero just smiled at him? It might not have been the biggest smile he had ever seen for if Quatre smiled he was always afraid his face would split but this one warmed his heart the most and before he could control it, he smiled back his own cheeky, but honest, smile.

'I am sorry too.' Heero said softly. The smile disappeared from sight and he focussed on cleaning himself again.

Duo didn't know why Heero was apolagising since HE was the one to blame but he didn't want to ruin the moment so he kept his mouth shut. Even though he wanted to tell him badly that it wasn't anything personal. He wanted to explain about the 'bomb' in his head but then Heero would probably think he was crazy and that was nothing better then being deemed dumb.

He frowned when, once the blood was removed from heero's face, fe could see and ugly looking cut on his cheek. It looked deep and was definitely something to worry about. Without realising it to the fullset he gently grabbed Heero's chin, forcing him to look at him so he could inspect the cut better. He winced as he though that is might even went through his cheek.

He looked at him with widened eyes, not expecting the move. Duo grinned sheepishly and let go of his chin, expecting Heero to turn away immediately, but he didn't. He gave him the smile again. The one brighter then the sun that mockingly looked down at them.

Maybe those sappy poets weren't sucking out of there thumbs the stories that told that the best things happened in worst case scenarios.

They went back to fetch the other so they could clean up in the pond and then they will decide what they will do. Deciding together, nobody taking charge.

But they may have got closer, they were still in a pretty crappy situation and things were about to get worse. They were unaware that they were being watched by two dark eyes, hiding in the bushes...

TBC...

**Okay, the ending isn't quite how I wanted it but the beginning was alright and it's a pretty long chapter, something I have never achieved! **

**Greetings from Crimson Waterfall**

**Not reviewing equals not living much longer... -) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Except for the spelling (-.-' hehe, oops) I got such nice reviews so I just HAD to continue. I just hope I don't disappointment anyone with this chapter... **

**PS: The rating goes up for this chapter.**

**The Forsaken**

**Chapter 2**

'What now?' WuFei asked as he sat on the edge beside the pond, once in a while lifting a cupped hand full water up to his face. The others sighed. They didn't now. And as always three, because WuFei couldn't see, pairs of eyes focussed on Heero, who was carefully cleaning the cut in his cheek, showing no direct signs of pain, but they could all see that a cut like that must hurt.

'I think we have to get away from the plane, find a good hiding place and then... well, Quatre can't walk and we don't know how long WuFei's blindness will last. So I suggest that two 'healthy' pilots should look for civilisation while the other three stayed in the forest.'

'Splitting up.' Trowa summarised, obviously not liking the idea.

Heero nodded and actually winced when he touched his cheek again. Duo, worried, crawled towards him and took the piece of cloth from Heero's hand. 'Let me look at that.' He almost expected Heero to give him the same reaction WuFei gave him, but he didn't. He just turned his head so Duo had a clear vision of the cut. 'Did it went THROUGH your cheek?'

'...yes.'

The others visibly winced at that thought.

'It must have been a piece of glass or something...' Heero added, mumbling. Duo nodded and sighed, there was no use checking the wound. It would probably leave a scar on Heero's otherwise perfect face and it would get infected if it wasn't cleaned properly. Unfortunately, the medication WuFei and Trowa took with them were useless. The bottles that held the medication broke. They were lucky that it didn't stain the food they took with them.

'I suggest you'd clean it with water once or twice a day, that's all you can do.' Duo said, suddenly feeling useless, he wanted to help, he wanted to save his friends, but there was nothing he could do. WuFei should have brought a fucking radio instead of food! No, he shouldn't blame this on WuFei, at least WuFei came up with SOMETHING, all he did was scream.

'Which direction should we go in?'

Heero thought about that. The base had lay in the middle of a large forest. In the plain, they had been going east, and had covered a few kilometres, they should keep going east, you'd think. But if they went east, it would take them longer to find a city. There was city RIGHT at the border of the forest north, but they didn't go there immediately because it had no landing strip. Now, it was perfect.

'We go north.' He finally said. 'That way.' He pointed in the direction that was, according to him, North.

'How do you know North is that way?' Trowa questioned. Not seeing how the Japanese pilot could know. That he didn't like being the leader himself, didn't mean he would follow the appointed leader blindly, no pun intended WuFei.

Heero gave him a sharp look 'Do you question my decision Trowa? Why don't you tell us where we go!'

Heero becoming mad, now that's a rare sight.

Trowa cast his gaze downwards, then looked in the direction Heero had pointed in. 'We go North.'

Heero only snorted and got up with a little effort staring down the competition Trowa had unleashed.

Duo got up as well, groaning as his sprained, or broken, ankle complained. It would be a bitch while walking. He looked nervously at Trowa and Heero, who seemed ready to kill each other, what in the world was wrong with them! Headline news: Silent and emotionless men meet anger! It sent shivers down his spine. Seeing those two quarrel wouldn't be nice. Since quarrelling was described as gunfire in Heero's dictionary. He hoped his ankle healed miraculously. If those two would have to walk to the city with no one interfering when they sparred, one of them would end up being a corpse lying in the sandy ground of the forest, bloody and broken.

Trowa lifted Quatre up, deciding on carrying him all the way.

Duo took WuFei's hand, much to the Chinese man's dismay. But duo needed support for his ankle and WuFei needed a seeing pair of eyes. If their relationship wasn't just as cosy of that of Heero and Trowa, they would make a fine couple. One the strong body, the other the eyes.

They walked for hours and hours and duo winced with every step he took. It seemed like Heero wanted to prove he's the strongest or something, he kept walking in the same fast pace the whole time. And Trowa tried his best to keep up. Since when did they fight for dominance so vigorously? Ah, nature, it unleashes the beast inside them. Duo snickered at that thought, imagining Heero with long fangs. He wasn't even surprised by the thought that it would probably look good on him.

'Can we please take a break?'

That WAS surprising though. He looked at WuFei at his side, he was tired and it was becoming dark, though there was no way WuFei could know that.

'Yeah,' Duo agreed, 'I'm poop.'

Heero turned around and nodded, seeing that they weren't in good enough shape to keep on going. 'Okay, we'll sleep here.'

Trowa gently lay Quatre against a tree trunk and checked his wound, worry crossed his face. The wound had almost stopped bleeding, but it was big, during the plane-crash the flesh must have torn open more. That though sent shivers down his spine as he could hear the sound of ripping flesh in the back of his mind.

Heero sagged down heavily against another tree, though he didn't want others to notice, he was half dead, he was so tired. But they couldn't stop, if OZ soldiers found the plane they would search the area around it, looking for them. He gently lay his hand against his chest and groaned silently. Some of his ribs were probably broken, making it difficult to breath as with each intake of breath he could feel the broken bones pressing against his lung... and it hurt. He wasn't sure if they could survive this. The soldiers looking for them, wasn't his biggest concern. He looked in the forest, a fog was forming while the moon traded places with the sun. It turned the forest, that was beautiful in daylight, in a horror scene. And who knew what was hiding in the darkness? Snakes? Foxes? Wolves? Tigers? ... Men? If it was his to decide, he would have kept walking till they were out of this hellhole.

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Duo slowly opened his eyes, groaning. His was aching from sleeping in a weird position against the tree. He looked around at the other pilots and noticed they were still all breathing. Good. They had survived the first night. He got up and winced when his ankle started to scream immediately. He stretched out and suddenly held still, hearing a strange, unwelcome sound. He peered around, looking past the trees for as far as he could. He turned his head quickly, trying to take as much in as he could. He could see nothing but trees and bushes, the wind rustling their leaves, but that wasn't what he heard. He concentrated on the sound, closing his eyes, he soon found the source. It was Heero. He hurried towards him, the young man was breathing shallow and uneven. He was about to lift the filthy green tank top so he could see what was wrong but a strong hand gripped his wrsit. Frightened he looked up, meeting a pair of wild blue eyes that slowly calmed. He should have known better then to sneak up on Heero, the man was always alert.

'What's wrong?'

Heero furrowed his eyebrows in question.

'Your breathing is shallow and uneven and it seems... painful.'

Heero sat up, nodding 'I think I cracked some ribs, but it is nothing to worry about.'

Not worrying was the LAST thing on Duo's mind. He was about to say that when Heero stood up and ordered: 'Wake the others. We're leaving.'

'It is still early.' Duo protested, looking at their serene, sleeping features.

'We will take a break in the afternoon.' Heero simply said, looking at one spot in the distance, keeping his eyes trained on something. Or someone? Duo didn't know, but it made him nervous. Really nervous. Without questioning further he woke up the rest, telling them to be quiet. When he turned to the Japanese man he was still staring at that one spot in particular. The others also soon noticed and swallowed hard. Thus far Heero had always been right when he thought an enemy was coming. Why would this time be an exception?

Duo came to stand beside the man he considered his friend, following his gaze. The fog that was there last night had lingered, but now it glistened in the early sunlight, making the place a hell of a lot nicer then it had looked the night before. But Heero probably wasn't taking in the beautiful sight of the forest with every leave covered with the drops of dawn. Beside the tree, that was straight in Heero's line of sight, about fifty meter away from them, sat a shadow that fitted the silhouette of a crouching man. The shadow sat there, unmoving, maybe studying them as they studied him.

'Soldiers?' Duo whispered, turning to Heero for a second. But when he looked back, the shadow was gone, which proved to them it was indeed a living creature that was staring at them. Duo saw that Heero was just as surprised at his disappearance as he was.

Heero turned his head to look at the other tree. WuFei looked completely lost with his still blind, dark, eyes. Trowa had already hoisted Quatre on his back, ready to sprint when Heero gave the command. It was weird, Trowa was ready to follow his order while yesterday it seemed like they were competing. But it didn't matter, in situations like this you just what you've told. For in battle, a conflict between allies would mean death. That was one of the first rule drilled in Heero's head, he had no doubt it was the same for Trowa.

'We are in no condition to fight.' Heero stated, turning towards North, the direction in which they must go, 'We run till we can't run no more.' He sprinted off and Trowa followed him, the burden on his back not slowing him down as much as you would expect. Duo ran towards WuFei, grabbed his hand and then went after the other three. Never in his life had he run away from a battle, he always lingered, ready to fight, no matter how outnumbered he was, but this time, Duo knew best then to doubt Heero's order. His ankle complained, begging him to stop, but he paid it no mind as he carefully, but hastily led WuFei around trees and over surfaced roots. His vision focussed on the pair running before him, his hearing on the sounds that surrounded and haunted them. But with the rush of blood going to his ears, he couldn't make out if it were simple sounds of the forest, or footsteps chasing them. But Duo soon noticed that with his ankle, he wasn't as fast as the others and he was slowing WuFei down. So he handed the Chinese man over to Trowa, because Heero was further ahead of them. He panted as the distance between him and Trowa increased by the second and his running turned into a stumbling pace. He summoned all his power to his feet, to keep moving for he heard the first proof that they were being followed. He could hear a heavy, panting, voice call: 'We are gaining on them! Hurry!' Unfortunately, that caught him off guard and he missed the big root of the tree he was nearing and stumbled. Falling hard on the ground that was covered with leaves. He tried to get up but gave up as he heard another scream, very close to him. Why should he get up? He didn't have the power to go on. Hehe, he'll be back in civilisation before the others. Okay, that wasn't as comforting as it should be but he didn't even fight back when a strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him up forcefully, another hand encircled his waist to keep him upright. Surprised by that he dared to look up and couldn't help the grin forming on his face when he saw it was no ozzie capturing him. It was Heero... saving him.

'Heero, I'll only delay you.' He 'protested' as Heero lifted him up on his back and started running after Trowa, who stood still, waiting for Heero to catch up with him. Could bless their souls.

'Hn.'

Okay, why wasn't he surprised with that answer? And why was he so happy with answer! Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's neck so he wouldn't fall. He felt really guilty, clinging to the wounded man like that. Heero had broken some ribs and was still walking. He only sprained his ankle and needed to be carried? He was such a weakling. This was really injustice for Heero. Injustice, hehe, he sounded like WuFei now.

They run left and right, trying to shake them of and it began to work. By the sounds it seemed the distance between and whoever was following them increased with every step they took, till after a while it was all silent except for the singing of the birds, their panting and their whispering footsteps. Duo looked back and saw nothing but trees surrounded by fog. They lost them. Thank god.

When Duo looked forward again he saw they were nearing some kind of pit, a crater, in the middle of the forest, filled with mud and puddles of water. And they were heading straight towards it. He looked at Heero's face and say the boy had his eyes closed in pain most of the time, so he didn't notice they were about to fall in it. He warned him but if was to late, they were at the edge when Heero finally stopped but because of the extra 'luggage' he lost his balance and fell forward, just like Trowa, who dragged WuFei with him. They rolled down, groaning as their wounds had to suffer more blows. They let out screams of pain as they hit rock. Their fall came to an abrupt end when they reached the middle of the crater, surrounded by mud and rocks and all the filth and dirt that came with it. And it stank like hell! But they barely registered that as they were rendered unconscious from the run and the painful fall that had knocked all the air out of their lungs.

Not knowing what gruesome surprise awaited them when they woke up.

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**(though my ability to describe surroundings is average, this is certainly not a scene for the faint hearted. Those out there who have seen Behind Enemy Lines get the picture I describe bellow. And anyone who hasn't seen it: You really should, it's a good movie. PS: don't FLAME me because I DID warn you.)**

Duo woke up, feeling dizzy and slightly nauseous, he opened his eyes but all he could see was brown dirt. He tried to stand up but his body felt heavy, like it was sticking to the ground, he groaned and softly called for the other, but he voice couldn't have been heard. He himself was surprised hearing how soft it was.

He reached out his hand, searching and finding as it connected with a human body lying next to him, he recognised the texture of Heero's tank top, though it was soaked with dirt, probably just like his own clothing. He smiled as he felt the back of his friend, but the smile soon disappeared as he noticed it didn't move. Didn't breath. He used his power to turn his head and looked into a pair of eyes that were long dead. He screamed. And he screamed even harder when he noticed the lifeless eyes were brown. He shot up, removing his hand from the dead body. He immediately, got up, which was now not as difficult as it had been before. Fear giving him new power as adrenaline awakened in his body. He looked at the limp and dirty body of a man he didn't know. He looked around in the pit, searching for his comrades, he screamed even harder when he say they didn't land between brown rocks. The ground was covered with bodies. Human bodies. Dead humans! He backed out, towards the steep wall of the pit, hating the idea that for hours he lay in the middle of this horrible scene. He closed his eyes, praying to God that as soon as he left this place, this picture wouldn't haunt him anymore. He opened his eyes again, feeling sick and wanting to throw up but he thought his friends might appreciate it that he would save them from the horrible fate of lying in the middle of... this.

He walked around it, forcing himself to look at it, to search his friends. He found WuFei first. His white pants may be filthy now but it still stood out. He woke him easily and guided him to the edge, telling him to wait there and telling him not to be scared, though he vaguely wondered if he was talking to WuFei or to himself as he almost wet himself trying to find Trowa, Quatre and Heero between the mass of bodies. Seeing that he couldnt find them from walking around it, he stepped in, careful to not step on the bodies. He had to stop and take a breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He closed his eyes for a moment as he noticed with despair that the eyes of all the people that lay there were wide open, looking at him. At that moment he knew this picture would never leave his mind or his nightmares and he suddenly envied WuFei, for he couldn't see this. Never in his life he could have predicted he would envy a blind man.

He heard someone groan and went after the sound. It was Heero and he lay right on top of a long gone soul. He lay on his stomach, he opened his eyes and frowned when he saw the look Duo's muddy face gave him. Carefully he got up, thinking that he lay upon one of the pilots. His eyes shot open wide as he saw two blind pair of light blue eyes looking up in his direction. He scrambled up fast, looking in horror at the dead woman he was lying on top of.

Duo observed Heero, trying to find emotion on his face as the Japanese man studied his surroundings, suddenly he leaned forward and put his hand against his mouth. He was trying his best not to throw up.

Duo sighed and lay his hand on Heero's shaking back. For as long as he knew the boy he had wished to see some emotion on him. But this wasn't quite what he wished for.

Once he had calmed down and was sure the little bit that still filled his stomach thayed inside he helped Duo search for Trowa and Quatre. They found Quatre first, they tried to wake him up but he didn't so they lay him next to WuFei. Now they had to find Trowa.

That wasn't as easy as it sounded for the tall boy had wore all black like Duo and that didn't stand out in the see of brown, black and dark blue clothing of those who were dead.

Thinking he found him Duo turned a young but tall body around. The clothing, the length and the hair colour matched, even the green eyes, but is was a totally different face. Duo looked with sad eyes at the young boy and then it really hit him, the gruesome faith of every single person that lay here. Coldly murdered for this could only be the work of a heartless monster. He rubbed in his eyes, he rubbed away the tears that threatened to spill.

'I found him!'

Duo turned and saw Heero straddling Trowa, his hands on his shoulders, shaking him awake.

He joined him, screaming at Trowa who wouldn't wake up, but suddenly his green eyes flew open and he threw Heero off of him, who landed on the bodies once again.

Trowa sat up and looked around with wide eyes. He studied the bodies that surrounded him, then Quatre and WuFei who sat near the side of the crater, WuFei looking lost around himself. At last his eyes rested on Heero and his eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of their now weakened leader, for he couldn't keep the contains of his stomach inside and threw up the little food he ate before they had went to destroy that base. Trowa said coldly: 'We must get out of here. Who knows if the freak that did this returns.'

Duo was surprised seeing the lack of emotion he had expected with Heero. He watched as Trowa stood up and wiped some dirt of his face walking towards Quatre while he stood besides Heero who was overthrown with emotions. Coughing and throwing up.

They climbed out of the pit, up the muddy walls, failing in their first few attempts but once Duo got out of it he helped the others. He couldn't help but feeling proud that he got out as first, but he was more relieved then proud. He'd rather be tortured by ozzies then staying in that crater for much longer.

They walked the few hours the day had left and all the while Heero was forming the tail section of 'the pack'. Ashamed that he threw up in front of everyone, but Duo didn't mind. Not at all. In the two days they had been here, Heero had showed more emotions then he must have showed in all his life. Concern, Anger, Kindness (slightly), Attentiveness (when he carried him away from the ozzies) and fear. Okay, so he was only happy with two of those emotions, he shouldn't complain. He now had hard proof that Heero was indeed a human being. Only now... he started to question Trowa, who didn't seem to mind taking the lead this time. Duo couldn't help but wonder why this sudden turn of event. It seemed like Trowa didn't trust Heero's ability of leading anymore since they got here!

**I'm sorry!**

**Should this be rated horror by know? Well, just to those who don't like the blood and the dead bodies, this was the worst chapter. After this I am going to focus on how they must survive in the wilderness, but, the person(s) responsible for 'The Body-Pit' will return, muwhahahahahahahahaha!**

**BUT if more then just one person out there thinks I should leave it a mystery and ONLY write about surviving of the trees and the bushes, just let me know and I'll think about it, seeing that this chapter wasn't my original plan.**

**Crimson Waterfall to the rescue!**

**... or not **

**You know what I think of reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, this chapter holds a little bit of gore again... but I figured that sadly this fic can;t do without. Cause I need to write about them being haunted in the forest and being cornered and stuff so I can't do without the gore.. sorry. But it really isn't that bad!**

**The Forsaken**

**Chapter 3**

'Guys?' Duo whined.

'...'

'I'm hungry…' He pleadingly continued. They had been walking for two days straight. No sign of civilisation and no sign of hope for that matter. Trowa had just been threading onwards, sort of leaving the rest in his wake. WuFei had stayed surprisingly strong, even though his blindness showed no sign of improvement or disappearing. He feared for the outcome. He knew WuFei was strong and would not allow anyone to see what he truly felt, but he knew permanent blindness would break him.

Heero for that matter seemed determined to restore his pride and Trowa's faith in him. Resulting in him trying to advise Trowa which way to go. Which of course ended up in argument since Trowa did not intend on taking advise from anyone. Not even Quatre, whom he had been carrying for all those miles.

The bleeding had stopped, but only because an infection closed off the wound, it didn't look good. Quatre was pale and weak and sometimes his voice would falter or he would loose consciousness for several hours.

His ankle still hurt like hell, but he felt so selfish and like such a wussy, seeing how both Quatre and WuFei refused to give up.

'We will rest for an hour.'

Duo was grateful. An hour, Trowa must be in a good mood. Of course Heero had to ruin it.

'It be best if we continued walking up to those rocks.' He raised his arm slowly to point at the rocks about two hundred meter away from them. 'It's a good shelter and if we climb to the top we may be able to spot rivers or ponds.'

'We rest here. It is useless to go to those rocks! Look at the trees surrounding us! We'll never be able to look past them!'

'At least we'll be safe there.' Heero said, obviously restraining himself. He tensed and clenched his fists, trying not to raise his voice.

Duo didn't even care anymore, he just plopped down on the muddy ground letting out a long sigh. Closing his eyes he focused on the singing of the birds and slowly the angry voices of Trowa and Heero were blocked off. He blamed Hunger for their bad temper, but something told him that competitive guys like Heero and Trowa were more likely to just become feral in situations like these. Looking at them he smiled as they resembled two lions fighting for the right to lead the pack. The smile disappeared thinking of how those fights always got bloody and deadly.

'Guys, let's not fight, the situation is bad enough already.' An exhausted Quatre said. Trowa had set him against a tree. The pale blonde was panting and his eyes shifting.

Worry over their teammates broke them apart and Trowa rushed to Quatres side just before he blacked out again.

Heero went to sit down next to another tree, far from trowa, but, surprisingly, close to Duo. He sighed but the breath he released hitched and he winced. He lifted his shirt up, not noticing the curious look duo gave him and then his chest.

The right side was black and blue. Duo quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to be confronted with the facts. Facts that stated that they won't last for long out here.

WuFei just sat down on the exact same spot he had been standing, not knowing which way to turn anyway.

Too tired to keep his eyes open he closed them and before he knew it Duo drifted off, when he woke up, he found he was all alone.

Terrified he rose to his feet, wincing at the pain but then frantically looking around. The forest had darkened, it was night. The opening in the leave-roof that allowed sunlight in now created eerie spots on the ground and tree trunks as Moonlight floated through them. He looked at the place WuFei had been sitting, he wasn't there. He looked at the tree where Heero sat, no one, just the scary display of light that empathised that no one was there. The tree were Trowa and Quatre was were was abandoned as well.

He started to hyperventilate, never had he been this scared. How could they have left him here to his fate? Or... were they forced to leave! What if OZ found them and left him here as some form of sick amusement!

He placed his hand against the tree, seeking for support. He wasn't sure if it was the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and abandon or the long howl of a wolf that sounded so frightingly close but he just started running. Not giving his foot one single thought. He just ran through the forest in search of... he didn't know, because he knew that no matter how far he ran he will not find his comrades, nor other people for that matter.

He suddenly stopped. Something, a feeling deep in his heart told him to turn around, at the same time it told him he wouldn't like what he would find. But he turned anyway and was even to shocked to scream at the sight before him.

Right before him, bound to the tree he had just passed, was Heero. The rough ropes held his arms above his handing head. His feet were bound to the trunk of the tree, not touching the ground. The ropes were cutting into his wrist. He was bare chested. The gross bruises on his right side clearly visible.

Looking at the other trees not from from where Heero was he saw Quatre, Trowa and WuFei in the same situation. WuFei was the only one of whom he could see the face. His eyes were closed but trail of blood led down his cheeks. As if he had cried crimson tears. It was obvious they were all dead.

Heero's voice echoed through his head. Continuously calling out his name. At first it was far away, but it came closer and closer.

He screamed and closed his eyes when two hands came to lie on his shoulder and shook him.

'Duo?'

Heero's voice, only not hollow this time, filtered through his consciousness. He opened his eyes. The first thing he registered was that it was light and he was sitting. His back against a tree. The second and most welcoming thing was that Heero was crouched right before him, his hands on his shoulders. Though his face betrayed nothing in his eyes swirled a hint of worry.

'Are you okay? You had a pretty bad nightmare.' He monotone voice stated, while he slowly rose to his feet.

'I'm fine.' Duo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing up. Looking to the side he could see Trowa looking at him, a sleeping Quatre in his arms. WuFei was also vaguely 'looking' in his direction with a calculating expression.

'Thank God it was just a nightmare.' He softly said. Not even feeling the hunger for the next few hours as he was content to follow Trowa's footsteps.

The rest of the day went on without major incident, even though Heero couldn't help but raise his head a little higher in a cocky manner when he dicided to climb the rocks despite Trowa's protest and spot a small pond not far from them.

Even though the water wasn't that clear and was probably filled with bacteria, they drank it gratefully nevertheless. The only one not to take a sip was Trowa, stubbornly muttering something about the water being a health hazard.

'Where do we go from now?' WuFei asked, being his reasonable and controlled self.

'We just keep heading in the same direction.' Trowa suggested.

'What if that only takes us deeper into the wilderness?'

'Do you have a better idea, Yuy?' Trowa snapped.

'He may not, but I have.'

All heads turned towards WuFei, waiting for him to continue.

'Find food. We'll have new energy and Duo'll stop whining.'

'Thank you very much...' Duo sarcastically replied. Folding his arms across his chest he pretended to be angry, trying to get a laugh out of the others. But that was too much to ask for.

'What do you plan on doing? Trying to catch a bird with your bare hands?' An angry, hungry, frustrated Trowa snapped.

'What do YOU plan on doing? Not eating for weeks?' WuFei retorted.

'Come on, not you two as well!' Duo came between them and pushed Trowa, who had already taken up a defensive stand, away. He didn't want this to end up into an unfair fight.

'We musn't think meat but... berries... uhm fruit... I saw in a show once that even the roots of some trees are quite tasty.' He said with a grin, looking around. Of course he didn't remember what tree that exactly was and he also didn't know which berries were poisonous and which ones weren't, but he was really hungry!

'Fine.'

After that was said they all just stood there, they didn't have a clue of what to do...

'So... Tell me Duo, where is the food?' Trowa stubbornly said, folding his arms across his chest and looking expectantly at him.

Duo growled and rolled his eyes. Oh god, he thought as he heard the bomb ticking inside him again, knowing that if they kept it up, he will explode just like he did with Heero. To lower the pressure building up inside his head he decide to let out a minor boom: 'What's your problem Trowa? All you ever do lately is whine and come up with stupid suggestions that will KILL us!' he threw his hands in the air.

'I'm just trying to get us out of here and you aren't up for the job!'

'Trowa, we need food, we've already eaten what little we took with us from the plane. If we don't eat and drink we're gonna drop downd ead one by one. Is that what you want?'

Trowa rolled his eyes 'Of course not, and I'm not stopping you, am I? Go fetch some berries, do what you see fit!' he pointed in a random direction, motioning him to, if he wanted food, he'd better go now and start searching.

'Fine!' With his hands on his hips he walked off, telling the other to stay where they were while he was gonna 'order' dinner, as if he was walking towards the macdonalds. With a hastened pace he distanced himself from them. He was almost startled to death when a hand came down to his shoulder. Whippings his head around, his face resembling that of a deer caught in a headlight he looked at the person that had sneaked up on him. His face softened, but he was no less surprised as he saw it was Heero who had come after him. Looking back he could already no longer see the other whom they had left at the pond.

'Hey.' He said dumbly.

'Hey, I thought you could use some help. I know a lot about plants.'

Duo rolled his eyes but gave a weak smile no less and continued walking, Heero followed him. 'Heero, you know a lot about everything!' He said, looking around keeping his eyes open for something that even looked remotely edible... god he was hungry. His stomach growled as it agreed.

'Let's not wander off to far.' Heero commented after a few minutes of walking in astraight line, searching for food. He grabbed Duo's elbow to stop him and make him look at him. 'We might get lost.' He explained.

'Of course not!' Duo called out, but he did realise that if they just keot it up like this they wouldn't find anything and then there would be no living with Trowa from then on. 'You know what? We should split up. To double our chances of finding anything.'

'we could get lost.' Heero reapeated.

Duo rolled his eyes, he then grabbed a stone with a sharp edge and marked a tree with a cross. He looked surprised as Heero's hands came to hold him, to stop him from making another mark on another tree. 'What? Don't tell me you gonna start ranting about that trees have feeling too.'

Heero shook his head. 'It's not wise to leave marks that lead back to the path we followed. Remember, we are being followed, by Oz, or maybe even someone worse...'

Duo looked eaningful at his mark and then back at Heero. 'You got a better idea?'

He shook his head.

'Then we'll mark the trees, only so that we can find our way back to the others. C'mon, we won't be gone long!'

Heero sighed, he looked at the mark and then at Duo's pleading face. He gave up. 'Fine.' He grabbed a stone himself and walked off in a different direction. 'Don't eat anything poisonous!' He called back over his shoulder and soon he disappeared in the bushes.

Duo frowned, how the fuck was he supposed to know what was poisonous or not? He just shrugged, he really didn't have all that much faith in finding something anyway. He walked a few yards, looking back once in a while, as soon as his previous mark was almost out of sight, he made a new one. Instead of crosses he now made arrows, pointing in the direction in which he came from. He did inf act realise that heero was right, leaving marks when being hunted was not the best idea... but getting lost on your own wasn't so good either. Besides, he'd be gone for no more then fifteen minutes! What could happen?

His eyes grew wide as he stopped a large plant a few yards away from him, from this point he could see small pink flowers and black berries, fairly large. Grinning he looked back, maybe Heero was in sight, but of course he wasn't so he sprinted up to the plant on his own. He took in the berries, he did remember a saying of berries, which to eat and which not are just fine: white: never; red: sometimes: blue and purple: usually, and black: almost always. So, since these were black, with a little purple shine to them, they should be alright. He grinned victoriously as he picked the berries. And they dared to call him dumb! He lifted the hem of his shirt to create a sort of basket and he ripped off entire branches with the berries and pinkish flowers and gathered them in his make-shift cradle till it was full.

'That should be enough for a snack!' He called out happily, hungry, seriously dying for food he took a handful of the berries and stuffed them into his mouth. They tasted quite bitter, not very nice, but the mere thought of it being food made it seem delicious! He hadn't even realised just how hungry he was till his legs started to wobble. Not wanting to eat more then his share, but also not wanting to pass out he took three more berries and, this time they didn't taste all that bad, since the taste didn't caught him by surprise this time. Strangely, he only felt his head growing lighter and lighter and he even felt the urge to rest, so he did, supporting himself against a tree trunk. He closed his eyes and saw stars dancing before him. He sagged down, with his back still against the trunk till he was sitting on the leaf covered ground. He let go of the hem of his shirt and most of the berries rolled out of his lap. He lay a hand on his stomach as it started to ache. He started to hyperventilate as it got worse and worse till the point where he was so sick it felt like he was on the edge of vomiting, but nothing came out. He coughed and he very well realised that it were the berries that did this. He was sure he got it memorised right! Black was almost always good to eat! He was sure of it! He groaned, realising that this must be the reason why they had said: almost always. Key word: almost. He leaned forwards as he felt sicker and sicker, time seemed to go really fast he couldn't detremine whether it had been ten minutes since Heero left of an hour. He opened his eyes but he was not pleased to notice that he couldn't focus on anything! All was a blur! He suddenly could sympathyse better with WuFei, who still couldn't see a thing after the crash.

'Oh god...' he groaned, pulling his knees up to his chest. WuFei had been right, he did lack the amount of brain. He was stupid, how did he ever made it to being a gundam pilot? On of the five supposedly saviours of the world? Trowa was so smart, he could solve any riddle. Heero was so strong, he would flinch under no circumstances. WuFei was so determined, he won't stop no matter what. Quatre was so loving, he'd keep them together through the worse. What was his part? What good did he do? He made jokes, but no one laughed, he tried to help but no one excepted. He was a burden once again. First with his ankle... now this.

'Shit!' He called and he stomped his foot on the ground with the last bit of power he had in him. He now felt even worse than when he had after he had awoken from his nightmare! This was not his lucky day...

He groaned as he heard footsteps quickly nearing them and harsh panting, wheezing even as a person neared him. Great, the berries could at least have had the dignity to finish him off BEFORE Oz came! He let out a sick, mad man laugh, keeping his eyes closed, his hands still on his stomach. The figure fell down next to him and he could FEEL the person, panting almost painfully seemingly, leaning over him to look at the berries. Then the figure directed it's attention to him.

He opened his eyes half way as he felt two hands strongly gripping his shoulders and shaking him.

'Duo!' He suddenly heard a frim voice from close by yell.

How did Oz no his name?

'Duo! Oh god Duo!'

He could vaguely see the outline of a person, sitting on his knees in front of him. All he saw was a blurry spot of skin colour, some brown, some green and two distuinqtive spots of blue. 'Heero?' He winced as his mouth felt sore...

'Oh god Duo!' The blurry figure reached out a hand and then came back up and held one of the berries in front of his face. 'Did you eat these? Duo! Tell me damnit! Did. You. Eat. These?'

He found the strngth to nod his head once.

'Damnit Duo, I told you to be careful.'

Heero's hand held his face and forced him to look at him. Duo just smiled dumbly, he could no longer think straight...

'Throw up Duo.' Came Heero's commanding voice.

Duo shook his head. He couldn't, for some reason he couldn't.

'Put your fingers in your mouth!' heero ordered impatiently.

Duo chuckled, no wonder Heero was so thin, maybe he threw up after every meal? How else can he make those damned spandex shorts look good? He protested as he felt the figure, for some reason he could no longer remember who it was... it was on the tip of his tongue though. In either case the figure was forcefully prying his mouth open. He tried to bite down on the invading fingers but his mouth was held open in a strong grip. He gagged as two fingers probed deep inside his mouth, deeper, deeper, deeper. He finally coughed and then threw up. The finger quickly retreated and directed his face to the side so that he wouldn't throw up all over himself. He wished he could remember who was sitting with him as the person rubbed his back in soothing circles and whispering comforting words to him as he vomited, gagged and coughed for the next ten minutes.

'It's okay... shhh... it's okay...'

He felt his head getting lighter even, the sickening pit in his stomach, the source of all his pain, growing a little as he suddenly felt as if he was flying. Hovering above the ground. He was not conscious enough to notice it was Heero, carrying him like a groom would carry his bride and hurried to take him back to the pond where the rest was waiting.

He opened his eyes, of which he had initially not even noticed they were closed. He smiled as he recognised the blur as his comrade, but he frowned later on. 'Heero? ... ah... no Heero... no! I'm okay! It's Quatre! It's Quatre who's the worst!... nnn... help... him...' He tried to understand with his pea sized brain why Heero was carrying him and not Quatre, he was the one with the open stomach after all! The sound of shooting was all around them and he could hear explosions near by.

'Duo, what are you talking about?'

He shook his head, was Heero blind or something! Why weren't they hiding! They could get shot! Where were the other guys! He struggled in Heero's grip but not for long, for some unknown reason he had no strength, did he lose a lot of blood? He looked down at his own body, his clothing was ripped and a little bloody, but it didn't seem to bad.

'Where are Trowa... WuFei and Quatre?' he softly, but worriedly asked. He vaguely saw Heero's eyebrows knit together in a frown.

'They are all back at the pond, we're almost there. Hold on Duo.'

Pond? What pond! They were in the middle of an Oz base! He closed his eyes in frustration and confusion and took deep breath. God, he was feeling so sick, was he drugged?

'Heero! What happened?'

He frowned at hearing Trowa's surprised voice calling out at them. He opened his eyes and frowned as he saw they were ina forest. How the fuck did they get here? Did he fell asleep in heero's arms? How long had he slept?

He was carefully laid down on the damp forest floor. He saw Heero came to sit beside him and supported his head as he surprisingly started to give him water, letting himd rink out of his cupped hand. Each time the water on his hand was gone Heero would shift and a few second later he would bring a water filled hand back to his face again. He did that many, many times.

'He ate these.'

His vision improved a little and he saw Heero handing Trowa something small and black.

'What is it?'

'It's a Pokeberry.'(1)

'Is it dangerous?' Duo frowned at hearing Quatres weak and worried voice.

'Yes.' Heero stated while he made Duod rink more and more.

Duo wanted to tell heero that this water wasn't helping, it only made made him feel even worse, even sicker. He had a burning feeling in his stomach and he felt like he could vomit at any given moment now. He leaned to the side just to be sure, he'd be so embarressed if he puked all over Heero. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down, wishing himself not to vomit. That was such a turn off...

Heero adjusted his hold on him, to keep him from tumbling overt but allowing him to lean to side, in case he needed to throw up. He even brought up a hand and started to stroke his undoubtedly dirty and rough hair after not being able to wash it for days now.

Duo breathed loudly, so loud he couldn't even hear Heero's wheezing breath any more. His tomach felt swollen and it was painful, he felt vomit rising up threw his body and winced and groaned as it sank down again just before he could throw up. Gross, he thought, even more so as he now realised there was something on his face and he dared to bet it was vomit. What was wrong with him? Why was he so weak that he couldn't even move his body? He looked up and his eyes widened as he saw the four tree trunks, it was darker, dusk, the lightening was blue. And there were the four trunks, with the bloody bodies of his friends tied to them, WuFei's face with the crimson red tears... Heero's beaten up chest, the ribs visibly cracked... the giant black hole in Quatre's stomach... and Trowa's body covered with small but bloody cuts...

He screamed.

**Yes, I know, another 'scary' chapter, but believe me, all this will lead to some fluffiness in the next chapter. – hints silently at Heero still holding Duo in his arms- Vomit or not, I can see love blossom!**

**(1) Yes, Duo ate Pokeberries, not too smart of him, but hey, I can't tell one berry from another either. Just to let you know, i do NOT know what happens after someone has eaten a Pokeberry, all I know is that it is extremely dangerous to mammals, only birds can eat it without any harm. Anyways, in my story it must be puked out as soon as possible, as you might have noticed, then lots of water, as you might have noticed as well and then waiting and hoping for it to go away. **

**The effects of the berry (by the way): light headded, nausea, forgetfulness and halucinations. Why? Because those are my favorites! I just LOVE torturing Duo to the fullest and I do it at any given moment!**

**I am grateful that I've been finally able to update this story.**

**You are willing to comment on the story but please... do me a favor, do NOT mention my spelling. I had an offer of someone to beta, but I think I scared her off... So I'm still on my own...**

**But don't you find it comforting to at least know that I'm trying to find help? -.**

**Crimson Waterfall at your service!**


	4. Chapter 4

**No I am not dead. I didn't have the time to die. I'm sorry I didn't update, this time, my laziness is not my excuse, I have a very good reason involving work that needed to be done. REALLY needed to be done.**

**Yes, I have a beta reader thingy (don't even know the offical title of that most important job) I sent this chapter but got no response. Sorry, it will be full of errors, it hasn't been checked, but I just HAD to post it before life got hectic again.**

**The Forsaken**

Chapter 4 

As he slowly came back to the land of the living again, he almost sighed pleasently as he felt a cold wet hand push away his bangs to wipe his face clean. For a short moment the hand was gone and he heard the sound of dripping water, the hand returned again, cooling his heated skin. He groaned and the hand pulled back, much to his dismay.

'Duo? Are you awake?'

With a lot of effort he forced his eyelids open to gaze up at Heero, who was, in his turn, staring down at him. He now realised he was sitting in heero's lap, his head being supported by Heero's left hand while the right one had been the blissful hand to clean and cool him.

'Hey.' He muttered weakly, his voice hoarse, his throat sore. What happened, he wondered. He could remember nothing from before falling asleep and ending up in Heero's arms. Strange.

'You ate poisonous berries.'

Duo chuckled bitterly 'Why doesn't that surprise me? That's SO Duo.' Now that Heero said it he did vaguely remember seeing his own hand picking black berries. But it was nothing more but a distant memory, it could have just as easily been someone else's hand... it could have been a fragment out of a movie he had seen long ago. He really didn't know. All he saw was a pale skinny hands picking those black berries.

'You gave us quite a scare.' He commented as he dipped his hand in the cool water again and used it to clean of Duo's chest, which was apperently exposed.

Duo turned to the side and saw his black shirt hanging on a branch, water dripping off it, falling to the ground. No, don't say, he had puked on himself... God this was embarrassing.

'Where are the others?' He whispered, as he couldn't find the strength to speak up.

Heero took his time before he answered the question. 'WuFei and Quatre are fast asleep.' He looked up and Duo followed his gaze to see the two comrades huddled together against a tree. 'Trowa is looking for food.' Heero softly added.

Duo chuckled 'You didn't kill eachother?'

Heero smiled, yes ladies and gentlemen, Heero smiled a small sweet smile, too bad it disappeared far too soon. 'We did try.' He joked, shocking Duo to his very core.

'He finally agreed on looking for food?'

Heero shrugged, not really giving him much of an answer so Duo reckoned they had a major fight about it before the other pilot agreed.

'How long was i out?' Very subtle change of subject Duo!

'A day.'

Duo's eyes widened, he had been out an entire day? Wow, he didn't expect that.

'You look like shit.' Heero commented softly as he kept cleaning Duo's water. The sound of dripping water was almost hypnotic.

Duo frowned, looking up in mock anger 'well thank you!' He said sarcastically.

'Your skin is pale... your lips are white... you have black rings under your eyes...' Heero touched his face as he described it.

'Well, you don't look all that pretty either.' Heero didn't, he had thought it was impossible for Heero to not look perfect, but it was. His skin was too pale, making the red gash in his cheek stand out even more, his eyes were dull from loss of sleep and sand and mud stuck to his hair. He smiled and he reached up a hand to take out a twig that also got stuck in the messy strands.

Duo didn't really know what was going on but at that moment, as they stared into each others eyes, he felt something spark between them. He had never seen heero this gentle en this concerned. Infact, he had never seen a genuine expression on the boys face, this was a breakthrough. A day to mark red on the calender. Like just about everyday they spent in this forsaken forest. Everyday something shocking would happen. But that was the life of a Gundam pilot.

'How is he?' Was the question that broke Duo's muse.

Both heads turned at hearing Trowa's voice, which was too loud after such a long silence. He came walking up to them, holding the hem of his shirt, in which he craddle probably just about every berry he could find, non-poisonous ones of course as only Duo was capable of making such blunders.

'Oh... he's awake.' Trowa kneeled down next to him, he lay down the few things he found and let Heero inspect them, who threw some of them away. For some reason, it made Duo feel really good to see Heero scrutinize even the fruit Trowa brought. He also suddenly realised he should be glad that he had eaten the pokeberries himself before going back to 'camp' to feed them to the sick and dying Quatre before letting Heero check them.

'You okay Duo?'

He stared at Trowa who towered above them. He nodded weakly and gave him thumbs up and his trademark grin. 'Never been better.'

'Hn. Your teeth have more color than your skin.' He commented, taking all of Duo in with a careful eye.

'That better mean I'm really pale and not that I have yellow teeth!' He joked, but regretted raising his voice as it reminded him of his sore throat which felt like it had been rubbed with sandpaper.

With an obviously not amused sigh Trowa turned his attention to Heero. 'I saw the marks on the trees, not a wise move.' He said accusingly, but his face betrayed nothing as he stared at Heero while Heero stared right back. 'We have to leave, we've been in one place too long already.'

Not surprisingly Heero gently laid down Duo and rose to meet Trowa's glare with one of his own. It was actually quite funny since only now Duo noticed Heero was a good head shorter than Trowa but wasn't the least bit intimidated as he spoke: 'He was poisoned, he needs to rest.'

'Quatre has a hole in his stomach but we didn't stop for that either, now did we? I carried Quatre, you can carry Duo.' Trowa snapped, he left to walk over to said boy, checking his temperature by laying his hand on his forehead and then feeling his pulse. Once done with that he shot another glare towards Heero before continuing to tend the blonde.

Heero stared at him a little longer before looking down at Duo. His expression was one Duo had never seen before, almost afraid. Not afraid as in fear, but afraid of disappointing, afraid of letting people down.

Duo rose to a sitting position, noticing, embarressed that he was only in his durty shorts. 'It's okay Heero, I can walk on my own.' He tried to prove his point by standing up but failed miserably.

'No Duo.' Heero grabbed him and gently lay him down on the ground again. 'I'll carry you.'

Duo snorted 'Heero, you're injured and you're lighter than me. Besides-' his voice falters as he was on the receiving end of Heero's glare.

'we are not going to fight about this.' The Japanese pilot said in a determined tone and grabbed Duo's clothes, wrung them out and hung them up again.

Trowa, who had been monitoring their actions called: 'we'll wait for his clothes to dry, then we'll go.'

'Trowa is under the impression he is the alpha male of this pack.'

Duo turned to find the still blind Wufei sitting about a meter away from him, looking in his general direction.

'Hey... How are you holding up?'

'My vision is improving, I can see bright lights.' He simply answered, not excited. He probably realised very well he shouldn't get his hopes up too high, despite Heero's diagnose.

'Wufei.'

WuFei frowned, probably because Duo used his appropriate name.

'I really admire you. If I were in your position I would have broken down crying long ago.' He silently admitted.

WuFei cast his blind gaze down. 'you don't know what I do in the dark when everyone else in asleep.' He softly retorted and then looked the other way.

Duo stared at him, not at all surprised that WuFei was indeed morning for his loss, but shellshocked that he had just admitted it to him.

Two hours later Heero helped him get dressed and then unceremionically hoisted him over his shoulders and followed Trowa, who was carrying Quatre and guiding WuFei.

Duo felt extremely guilty, lying on Heero's shoulder like this, like he was some weak boy who needed help with everything and once again heero had to come to the rescue. How many times did the pilot save his life over the course of the past few days? How many times since they met? It was a long list that kept him occupied till it turned dark and Trowa suggested they'd stop.

Heero was panting heavily and wheezing again, but he didn't dare to comment on it. He didn't want to make him angry like he had done that morning. He just had to keep peace, if they started to fight their group would fall apart. He knew that even though Heero and apparently WuFei neither agreed to trowa being the 'alpha male' they should not try to change it. First of all it would only cause fights, fights that might lead to them splitting up. That would not be a wise thing to do. Not with OZ on their tails and the person responsible for the body pit, who could be lurking from behind every tree. Second of all, Trowa was the logical choice. He now was the strongest of the group, like the alpha male should be. The only problem with lkeaving trowa in charge was that it was getting to his head. Another disadvantage was that, even though he went through a lot and was not dumb or less then them in any case, he did receive the least amount of training of the five of them as he was only appointed Heavyarms pilot two months before launching operation meteor.

Five heads turned in the same sirection as they heard the frightingly close howl of a wolf. At the same time they turned to look at each other and Heero was quick too say, after glancing upwards 'These trees are strong enough to climb in. Up there we'll be safe.'

'It'll cost energy we don't have.' Trowa snarled.

Duo was afraid that he agreed with both of them. They both had their points. He wasn't sure if the reason why he was leaning towards Heero's suggestion was because he was starting to fall madly in love with him or simply because it was the best choice. Either way, when Heero walked up to the base of one of the trees and tried to climb in, he went after him and helped him the best he could.

Twenty exhausting minutes later they were sitting on the lowest, thick branches of the high tree, the limited amount of space available made Duo very happy, because Heero decided it was best to lean against each other, that way, they will not only stay warm, they will also have less difficulty staying balanced. Or so he said. Half an hour later, at WuFei's call after the howling came closer, Heero went down and helped WuFei up. Positioning him on another branch. Then he came back to huddle against Duo, wheezing.

Duo didn't know how late it was when he awoke, all he could confirm was that it was still dark, though the moon made a good effort of lighting the forest. For a moment he was afraid he was in that dream again, but he smiled as he noticed he wasn't. His smile brightened as he noticed that in the tree across from theirs Trowa and Quatre were also propped up on the branches. Quatre lying safely in trowa's arm, who was, surprisingly, kissing Quatre's forehead over and over and talking to him. Though it was too soft to hear.

He suck in a a breath as he suddenly made long eyecontact with Trowa. He could only estimate how much time had passed till Trowa finally broke the gaze.

Duo fell asleep not long after.

Only to be awoken again by the soft calling of Heero.

Opening his eyes he found a sight he wanted to wake up to every moment from that point on. Heero's face, very, very close to his.

'Heya buddy. Slept well?'

Heero rolled his eyes. 'I slept in a tree, what do you reckon?'

The two of them carefully climbed down. Duo frowned deeply as he saw Trowa sitting at the base of the tree he had been IN that night, Quatre next to him. They both appeared to be sleeping.

'What are they doing?'

'What do you mean?' Heero questioned after helping Duo down. 'They've been there all night of course. Too damn stubborn to accept any advise.'

Duo decided, for some reason, not to mention that Trowa HAD followed Heero's lead that evening. It was obvious Trowa didn't want Heero to know that. So, for the good of peace, it was best that it would remain a secret.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I've given my beta reader a little off, it's a busy business after all. But mostly because I want to see if you can bear my spelling. This is the first chapter I have ever checked myself. Just a quick re-read. But anyway, I hope you can all read it and enjoy it. Maybe we'll all appreciate Jessy, my betareader, a little more after this chapter...

BTW: This chapter is written in Duo's POV because it just suited better.

Bear with me!

The Forsaken

Chapter Five

To say our situation was bad would be an understatement. To say our situation was hellish would be the same, I'd prefer the wramth of hell over the chills running down my spine any time. To say our situation was worse that one we've ever been in would be the truth. To say the five of us had hardly any strength left and our morals and kindness are too heavy to carry... that wouldn't be a lie either...

In the beginning of the war I had this little theory about the parts we play in this little disfunctional family. And since silence reins most of the time, I find myself thinking them over again as I follow the others that are in front of me.

Let's start with Heero, my favorite subject no matter what situation we are in. He is the pillar of strength and only a blind man could not see he was trained to lead, or just too damn stubborn to take order from anyone other than J. He's the guy that would hold the flashlight and walk up front as we head through a dark tunnel. He is the one to make sure eveything is clear and we can pass safely.

Trowa... initially I thought he was the silent guy that would follow all the orders, as long as he agrees with them. Like Heero he is strong and I always picture he would walk right behind Heero, doing a second check of the surroundings.

I might talk shit about WuFei, but that guy had earned my respect, from the beginning. He is the guy that I picture at the rear of the pack, not because he likes following everyone around, but because he'd be damned to let anyone sneak up on us from behind. I also imagined he'd be the one to pick up fallen team mates and carry them to safety with bombs going off all around him.

And Good old Quatre. He is the strength that keeps us together. Without Quatre's calming presence we would have the hardest of times not to strangle each other. He's the one you can always count on to save you, but not in bullet fire or explosions, he is the one that saves the soldiers when they are most vulnerable... out of the battle, thinking over their sins. As a soldier threatens to drown in the sea of souls of all of the people he killed Quatre is the strong hand that grabs your and pulls you up with all his might and then wraps a warm blanket around you and gives you a cup of hot cocoa.

Alas, there is me. I found it hard to pinpoint my part in our little group. But after a while I noticed that I pick up where Quatre left off. While he does the individual approach, I chatter and joke so much that it takes the worry even out of Heero's mind, though he'd be damned to admit it. No matter how hard they will deny it, they'll miss my chatter when it's gone because the silence allow them to think about everything they don't want to think about. As long as I chatter and joke, blabber about all that is unnecessary, there is no need for Quatre to pull us up.

And after going through the theory that hit me a good six months before the seventh damned day that we stalk through this forest I am able to explain the tension. All on my own I figured out why our little group is falling apart. And here they say I don't have enough brain capacity.

See, the domino effect starts with talkative little me. The thing is, I don't talk anymore. I stopped talking the third day when even I began to see that this situation is too serious and I started to get afraid. Alone with my thoughts our group went silent. In this silence they ponder over eveything they had done wrong, thinking about the lives they took and god dammit Heero must be feeling really guilty for picking an old plane to escape with, even though he had his reasons. Wufei is fearing he'll never see again and he'll be nothing but a useless aspect to our team.

And when we all are down and depressed, there is no Quatre to pull us up and we slowly drown in a rough sea. A dark sea and all we hear is thunder and the cries and pleads of those who perrished as they pull us down by our feet.

It also hits them that this is serious, these days could be their last, they have every right to worry. Without Quatre there is no 'one for all', everyone stands on his own and there is no Wufei to pick them up when they stumble or collapse from pure exhaustion. So they have to keep going, survival instincts is all that gives them the strength to lift their feet and make the next heavy step.

The fourth domino stone lies with Trowa. I didn't get it at first but, being alone with my thoughts and all, retracing our days, I think I pinpointed the moment where something snapped behind those green eyes. I think it was when he carried the delusional Heero out of the plane, who was blabbering nonsense, much like I mostly do. I think it scared him. I think it scared him that the one to be holding the flashlight, dropped it. My guess is that he lost faith in Heero's ability to lead so he feels the need to take over.

The fifth stone is Heero. Stubborn, thickheaded Heero who does not like it when anyone doubts any of his abilities. 

And from there on stones just keep tumbling and the story ends at our current location and we, no I, always wonder when the next stone will fall and will bring us that much closer to insanity. 

But I fear death will beat insanity in the race to get to us. I am not blind and I do have a large amount of brain capacity, even though they don't know it, even though I don't show it. I reckon trowa hasn't eaten for days, all the edible berries we found and devided equally between us five, he would always give his share to Quatre. He was so malnourished that his body, with no fat left, began feeding of his muscles, muscles he needed to carry the blonde on his back. His arms were the first that started to quiver and now it's plain for everyone to see that his legs threaten to buckle with each step. I want to be mad at him, not only for his stupity, because him dying of hunger won't do Quatre any good, but also because he keeps whipping us like slaves, ordering us to go faster and farther. But how can I mad at a guy who risks his life for someone else? And I can't help but ask myself why, because, no matter how hard it is to admit, Quatre appears to me like a lost cause. His skin has turned transparent and he hasn't reached consciousness for the past two days. He hadn't lost more blood, but that was only because the wound had closed with a nasty infection.

Heero, my poor Heero that had carried me for two days after my poison incident wasn't doing well either. He started coughing, but I don't think it's a cold. He can't breath without wheezing nor wincing and it's hard to watch his face contort in pain as once in a while he has to take a deep breath. Things really hurt if even the perfect soldier doesn't try to hide it. I've seen him get tortured, face a neatral mask, that mask was now ripped to shreds as he looked drained with his mouth open in a effort to ease his breathing.

Seeing those three makes me feel like the biggest bastard in the world as I keep complaining about my broken and swollen foot. It's painful as it throbs with every step I take and i feel it will tear my shoe, that's how much it has swollen, but still, guilts renders me silent as I listen to wheezing and watch quivering legs.

I have yet to let go of WuFei's hand, I've been holding it the entire day as I guide him across the forest floor, being careful to spot those surfacing tree roots hidden beneath a blanket of fallen brown leaves. I'm glad to see that besides his blindness, that has yet to improve much, he is doing good. His small injuries are healing and I'm sure he noticed that I've begun to lean on him more and more with each painful step. But i don't think he minds, I think he sees it as a return of favor. So we've been silent companions from the moment the plane crashed. Guess he was lying afterall when he once said he couldn't stand my presence for longer than five minutes.

The cold night fell apon us once again. Unable to keep on walking with violently shivering torso's Trowa finally agreed to rest.

I look up, trying to to spot the moon or any of the stars, but the roof of green leaves above me was just too thick and soon as the sun had completely set, it was pitch black, I could barely see the outlines of my friends as the trees blocked every bit of light. At Heero's request I help WuFei into the tree and climbed in after him. Seated on a thick branch I waited for Heero to join me, but he didn't. Fearing a full blown fight between Trowa and Heero I lean over to look down, almost losing my balance. My heart thumps in my throat as I realise that could have been a nasty fall. Once calmed down I force my eyes to focus and vaguely see Heero at the trunk of the tree. He's trying to climb, but he can't, the exertion is just too much for his battered lungs to handle and before i know it he falls back on the ground, panting and wheezing and doesn't make a move to try again. I can feel the tension as I see trowa's tall sihouette staring at the struggling pilot on the ground. Sighing I climb down, cursing my painful foot that has to carry all my weight from time to time as I slowly come down. Holding on to the lowest branch I reach my hand out to Heero, who had rose to his feet again. I frown as my hand gets swatted away quite roughly. With shaking head I watch Heero's second attempt to climb the tree. This time he is more succesful. I wait and climb after him, ready to catch him should he fall, but he doesn't and a long time later the three of us are finally all seated in the tree. I'm surprised to see that trowa is no longer keeping up an act and hoists Quatre into a tree with Heero's gaze fixed on them all the time.

Please don't comment on it, please don't comment on it, i prayed inwardly.

Thankfully Heero doesn't. With one last cough he closes his eyes and being the perfect soldier that he is he is fast asleep within no time. God, I wish I could do that.

God knows how long later I wake up, or so I think. Fear grows in my chest as I notice it is still dark and I can't see my friends around me. Thankfully the only one to blame for that are my eyes that had yet to adapt to the dark. Soon I spot all four of them, safely in the trees. But I'm not at ease, I don't just wake up for nothing, I must have heard something.

Barely able to hear anything other than erratic beating of my heart I strain my ears as I try my best to look around. I detect a definite rustle of leaves. I climb to the far end of the branch and look around, of course my nothing more than human eyes don't see a bloody thing in the damned dark so I'm left to rely on my sense of hearing only.

Never have I been so scared. The dark ususally never got to me, but now my incapability to see is the most frightening thing I have ever experienced. Maybe because now I know that every little sound I hear, won't be Heero, nor WuFei, nor Trowa, nor Quatre. Being a windstill evening there was nothing else to blame but a living creature, sneaking up on us. I look back at Heero, I hate to wake him up as we are all so drained from walking on fumes, but I know that should not stand I my way. I should not risk our safety just because I don't have the heart to wake him.

'Heero.' I whisper harsly. 'Heero.'

After receiving no response I shake him and apologise as I scared him, which is obvious as he grips my arms so tightly the blood circulation is cut off. 'Chill man, it's just me.' I comfort.

He calms down and slowly releases me. His wide eyes narrow to their usual size.

'I hear something.' Those three words got me his undevided attention within seconds. He too climbed father, past me, to the and of the branch and sat still, focussing. I hold my breath as i don't want to disturb him. His eyes shifts, he too is left blind in the night, but his muscles tense at sounds only his trained ears pick up.

'What is it?' I dare to ask.

'I don't know... but it's hunting us.'

My breath hitches and i can barely stop myself from calling out: 'Oh shit!' I look around in vain and I wait for him to say comforting words like: Don't worry, we're safe here. But no such comfort comes. 'What should we do?'

'... Our best bet is to stay here, stay hidden...'

The fright in Heero's eyes scares me and I tell him so.

His only response is: 'Fear is a natural reaction... that saves lives.'

Not being able to resist this one I joke: 'No wonder you almost get killed daily.'

Heero put his fingers to his lips, ordering me to be silent.

I was and we both wait as the sound, faint as it is, comes closer. Whoever it is, he is not alone and I fear for OZ soldiers as we are defintely being surrounded, soft, mufled footsteps come closer and closer from every direction. I wonder what the use is in staying in the tree, they have obviously located us, we might have a better chance if we flee or fight back, despite our injuries and weakness. But I don't tell Heero about my idea, he told me to be silent after all. Trowa might be bold enough to question Heero's orders, but I trust him blindly, I have no choice afterall. They say it takes a real man to admit someone else is better. Well, that makes me the most real man to walk this planet as I'm not afraid to admit that Heero is a better soldier than I am. But like I said, each had his own qualities in this group.

I see Heero move, only a little. After closer inspection I find he has giving Trowa, who had awoken at the sound of a twig snapping, the same gesture as he had given me.

Knowing better than to pick a fight in a compromising situation like this Trowa nodded and remained silent.

I couldn't help but notice Heero was holding his breath as his wheezing was a dead giveaway.

I hear another twig snapping, it was so close I almost screamed. I look around, half expecting to find an ozzie sitting next to me on the branch, but there no one there except for a sleeping WuFei.

All the warning i got was a loud crack and an unreserved scream from Heero. Reacting on instincts I reach over to grab his arm and that had been the best response I could have made as it dawns to me the branch we were sitting on had broken, exactly between me and Heero. The heavy branch, the slow process of it breaking had been the snapping I had heard before, fell to the ground with a loud thud and if that hadn't awaken WuFei Heero's startled cry would have.

'I got ya!' I yell, no longer worrying about being silent, sitting on the stump that was left of the branch I held on to Heero's hands with all my might. I look around and curse as, all around us, I see lights. Eyes reflecting the little moonlight that filtered through the leaves. 'Shit, heero! Pull yourself up!' he's trying, I know he is, but he just can't get enough oxygen into his body to fuel his strength.

All I can do is try my best to pull him up as one set of eyes runs towards his legs that are dangling down. Just in time he pulls his legs up as a mouth full of sharp teeth snaps up at him in an attempt to grab his foot.

'Holy fuck.' I let out as for the first time in my life I see a wolf anywhere other than in a picture in a book. Five more close in, they eyes shining like the devil himself was in control of them. With my last bit of strength I pull the boy, whom I consider to be my best friend, without any direct reason, up and after what seemed like forever of struggling he is in my arms, panting painfully. He lookes down at the large wild dogs with disbelief in his eyes.

After a moment he gasps out: 'Thanks.' And then disentangles himself from my arms.

'What's going on!' WuFei demands.

'It's okay, just some wolves.'

'Wolves! God do I hate this forest!'

'What now?' I ask the person who, thusfar, always had all the answers.

Heero looks down at the wolves who stare up at us in hunger.

Yeah, I can sympathise, I thought, looking into their hungry eyes. But you don't see me trying to chew off YOUR leg! As if the wolf I was glaring at had read my thought he took a small step back. Yeah, be afraid, be very afraid.

'We'll have to wait for them to leave...' He asnwers breathlessly.

'And what if they don't?' WuFei, always the bearer of the hard questions.

Heero shot him a glare, not that wuFei would notice, and he snaps: 'You have a better idea?'

'Take it easy, okay guys, sheesh. As if it isn't bad enough that THEY want to chew our heads off. Let's just stay calm and wait, I mean, how long could it take?'

Okay, of all the stupid comments I've made, that one was the worse...

And before you think: Yeah, that's great and the next chapter will be up in three months again, I say: WRONG! I've been having a little too much time on my hands so I already finished this story up to chapter seventeen and will be posting them in rapid sequence! Yeah, I'm proud of myself.

I hope you can forgive me for the spelling. I know I usually beg people to not comment on it, this time I'm asking you for your thoughts on my grammar and spelling. Ya know, see if it had improved a little.

As I walk through the valley of the shadows of death I shall fear no evil.  
Because I carry a stick... and I'm the meanest motherfucker in the valley!

C.W. 


	6. Chapter 6

No more Duo POV, just you're all warned.

Sorry, I am again the only oen to beta this chapter, but if you ask me, it may not be perfect, it's legible.

The Forsaken

Chapter Six

So halfway through the next day they were still sitting in the tree, three of the wolves had left but two had yet to give up on this easy meal. Duo's stomach growled, louder than the wolves did. He hugged himself in an attempt to fight the hunger but he felt faint and feared that he would lose his balance and fall to his death any moment.

'How much longer?' he complained.

'If I remember correctly, you were the one to say: Let's just stay calm and wait, how long could it take?'

He glared at the chinese man 'Damn, don't you ever forget anything!'

WuFei stuck his tongue out in his general direction.

Duo snorted 'Oh yeah, very mature FeiFei.' but he couldn't help but stick out his tongue as well. He cast a sideway glance at Heero who hadn't said a word since last night, apparently content listening to Duo and WuFei bicker.

The day went by so slowly it felt longer than the entire week had. Before they new it, darkness fell once again and soon all Duo could listen to was Heero's wheezing and WuFei's soft snores. 'How can those guys sleep at a time like this?' He asked himself.

'I'm not sleeping.'

'Jesus, Heero, you scared the hell out of me!'

'I apologise.'

'You'd better... So, how long do you think we'll be up here?'

'Very long.' Was all the answer he got.

'Gee, thanks, hadn't figured that out myself by now...' He replied sarcastically.

'What answer did you expect?' Heero asked, though not expecting an answer as he turned away to look down at the wolves, which were nothing more than barely distinguishable shadows on the forest floor.

'Heero, I want to ask you a question, but only if you promise to answer me seriously.' Duo stated after a long while of following Heero's gaze.

Heero nodded, a silent promise.

Taking satisfaction in his silent agreement he asked: 'Tell me Heero... You must have already done the math. How long? How long do you estimate we have?'

'What do you mean? I already told you I don't know how long we'll be up here.' He replied softly.

Duo sighed. 'That's not what I mean... I mean, how long do we have to live? How much longer can we last with our injuries?' He tried to look Heero in the eyes but the Japanese pilot refused to make eyecontact as he kept staring down.

'-'

Before Heero could speak Duo warned: 'No, don't lie. Give me the truth, I can handle it. Well, probably not but you're gonna hafta tell me the truth anyway.'

Heero turned to face him, the corners of his mouth turned upwards in a sad smile. 'You want my estimation?'

'It's not so much a matter of wanting, it's a matter of needing. I need it. I need to know,'

'Hn.'

Heero remained silent and Duo was starting to get the idea he wasn't going to answer him, till he spoke up softly.

'Fysically WuFei is in the best state. He's fine except for dehydration and malnutrition. I give him... a week, a little longer at most. Trowa... another case of dehydration and malnutrition. If we go on like this, he'll collapse, though he's strong and probably too stubborn to admit defeat. Considering that, I estimate he'll last about six days. Your foot is broken and I think also infected, which causes the swell. If we keep on walking it's only going to get worse, the skin might even break due to swelling. With the infection you won't walk more than four days...'

Duo nodded, not knowing how else to respond.

'Me...' he paused 'Many ribs are broken and are almost puncturing my lungs, atop of that I fear a lung infection. I don't give myself more than three days without medical attention.'

Duo swallowed 'And Quatre?'

'Quatre?' Heero gazes to the other tree at said, unconscious boy. 'I estimated he'd be dead yesterday...'

Duo sucked in some air to try and silence himself. Trying to remain calm and rational he asked: 'So... what do we need to do?'

'We all need antibiotics, warm clothes, water and food.'

'If we had all that... how long would we last then?' Duo wondered out loud, trying to find a spark of hope.

'With one decent meal, antibiotics and a good fresh drink... I think we'll all be able to last five days longer than my initial estimation. At most.'

'... How far is the nearest city?' Trowa joined in after carefully listening to their conversation.

With no hostility apparent on Heero's face he did a short calculation in his head, his mouth moving in silent words. After a few moments of silence he looked at them with cold and detached eyes, as if it would hurt him if his heart and mind would actually be involved in the answer. 'If I'm right about our current location and considering our slow progress...' He paused again as he was obviously struggling to gently put the bad news 'We're a good week away.'

'Oh god...' Trowa let out and he rubbed his temples and forehead as he tried to process what Heero just told him.

At dawn the green eyes of pilot 03 hardened with determination, it was a quick decision to make. Carefully and as silently as possible he grabbed Quatre, he stopped and held his breath as he snapped a twig. Reassured that he went unheard he climbed down the tree, all the while keeping his eyes on the one wolf left on the ground, sleeping quietly with it's head facing the tree where the others resided. Praying that his limited stealth skills would be enough, he tiptoed away, wincing each time the leaves rustles a little harder than he had estimated. He disregarded soldier lesson number one and he looked back. The wolf was still sleeping, as were the other pilots. He looked at them with a pained expression, leaving them behind made him feel like the worst person in the world but he had no other option, he had to get Quatre to a hospital and if he woke the others, he risked waking the wolf as well and Duo's slow pace would only slow him down. He knew they'd be fine, somehow, he had faith in their abilities. Still he couldn't help but feeling like a guilty murderer as he kept on walking and soon the tree they had spent two days in was out of sight.

He walked for a good two hours, his legs weak, but his determination won over his exhaustion and he was able to press on. A week, Heero had said. A week away. But he knew that despite his hunger and despite his exhaustion he had been the fastest of the group. From now on he had to force hismelf to eat no matter how guilty it made him feel. That way he was confident they would make it in time.

He walked and walked, all the while waiting till he would finally see a tree that carried fruit or a bush with berries, but no such luck came so he saw no use in stopping for a rest.

Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a rustle behind him. His blood boiled with fear, maybe the wolf had followed him afterall? He picked up his pace, afraid that leaving the tree, what had seemed like a good idea in the beginning, would soon turn into a mistake, he was stopped however by a firm voice.

'Put Quatre down.'

With a frown he turned and saw Heero standing six meters behind him. Behind the stoic Japanese boy stood an uncertain American and a Chinese with shifting eyes, trying to understand what was going on around him.

'Heero.'

'Put. Quatre. Down.' Heero repeated with a dangerous tone.

Not knowing why, he obliged and gently lay Quatre in the bed of leaves. Once done he straightened and asked: 'Why?' Before the word even left his lips Heero pounced onto him and send them both tumbling to the ground where they rolled, struggling to come out on top. Instincts kicking in he used Heero's weakness against him and roughly punched his chest.

With all the air knocked out of him Heero found himself being topped and pinned down by Trowa while he was painfully gasping for air.

'Guys! Stop it!' Duo pleaded with angry tone, bu he made no move to come between them while they were this angry.

'Why did you attack me!' Trowa demanded, sitting down on the bruised chest.

Heero's only reply was a groan that turned into a growl. With an unsuspected display of power he pushed Trowa off him and it was his turn to sit on top, pinning Trowa's hands above his head. 'Why did you leave, huh? You coward!' The emotions running across Heero's face were as unexpected as his sudden strength.

It left Trowa feeling powerless as the adrenaline, that had powered his body for a short few moments, abandoned him. He was left feeling drained and guilty, looking at the expressions on the faces of the comrades he left behind. 'You don't understand, I had to get Quatre to safety!'

'What do you think we have been doing for the past WEEK!' This came from Duo who stepped in closer. After a while watching the enraged Heero pinning the tall pilot down he stepped forward and grabbed Heero's arms, pulling him back.

Anger and adrenaline seemed to abandon Heero as well and he turned back into his calm and composed self.

'Why did you leave without us?'

'If I had to wake you guys I couldn't have left silently.' A frown appeared on his face. 'How did you escape and how did you find me?'

'Heero saw you leave, so we went after you.'

'You've been stalking me for two hours!'

'We had to be sure we were far away from the wolves.'

'Oh.'

Duo put his hands on his hips. 'Listen Trowa, I'm not gonna pretend any longer that I don't see you are not yourself and I'm not gonna be the joker again and pretending I don't know why. I don't like the way your acting and it's surely not doing us any good. So can we please all just get along!' He turned to look at Heero also.

Heero surpressed the childish need to point his finger at Trowa and call: 'He started it!'. Instead, he just nodded.

Duo turned to Trowa.

He nodded too, even though he didn't even know what he had done wrong.

'Okay, with that settled... let's rest.' He plopped down onto the ground in exhaustion.

The others sat down as well, in total silence.

Until:

'Jesus...' Wufei commented, scrunching up his face 'What is that god awful smell?'

Three other chins lifted and noses sniffed the air.

'It's coming form that direction.' Heero said, pointing into the direction the wind was coming from.

Curiosity made all of them rise and follow their noses, though it was without a doubt a very unpleasant smell one might never consider following. Duo couldn't help but notice it was also unpleasantly familiar.

Five minutes later they stood on the edge of a crater in the middle of the forest. They looked down and swallowed loudly.

A crater, full of bodies. Like Duo thought, very unpleasantly familiar.

'Another body pit...' Trowa softly commented.

'No.' Heero said sternly and fixed a deadly glare on Trowa.

'What do you mean?' Duo looked at Heero and then back down at the hundreds of bodies that were rotting there.

'It's the same body pit. We've been walking in a circle!'

Three sets of eyes widened.

'How do you know?'

'I recognise some of their clothing... Too much of a coincidence, it's the same pit. Look.' He pointed a long finger to the other side of the crater and Duo groaned as he saw their own footprints in the mud from the week before.

'Now guys... please, don't freak out...' Duo couldn't even finish his sentence or the two were already accusing each other.

'This is all your fault!' Trowa said.

Heero's eyes widened. 'How can this possibly be my fault! You've been walking up front all the time!'

'You said last night that you knew where we were, a week away from the nearest city!'

'Yeah, well I calculated the distance to the city with the distance between city and crash site, minus the distance I estimated we had walked!'

'SHUT UP!' WuFei yelled, very out of character. 'Do you really think you fighting all the time helps? I'm sick and tired of hearing you two ranting all the time! That's probably the reason why were lost in the first place! We need to be a team! There is a reason why there are five Gundam pilots and not one, because we need to work as a team in order to succeed! Dammit, why can't that sink into your thick skulls! Stop being so competitive all the time! Even I, being blind and everything, would be a better leader than either of you if you keep this up!'

Everyone just stared as Wufei's face turned red with anger.

'Heero, where's the city?'

'To the north...'

'Where's north?'

He looked around and concluded: 'That way.' He pointed in a direction.

'Well Trowa, can you live with that or do you have to wrestle about it?'

'Yes.' Trowa hesitantly answered. 'I can live with that.' He clarified.

Wufei sighed dramatically and looked away. '... like working with children...' He commented to himself.

'Now kiss and make up.' Duo joked but raised his hands in surrender and placated: 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' as he was on the receiving end of two deadly glares.

The two 'rivals' faced each other and firmly shook each others hand.

Trowa, WuFei and Duo started walking but after a few steps the American noticed Heero was not following. Turning he saw the Japanese pilot staring at the ground, which seemed to thoroughly fascinate him. Frowning he walked up to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. He gave a small smile as he noticed Heero didn't flinch away, but then again, he didn't even seem to notice his presence. With eyebrows raised in question he followed Heero's stare to the muddy ground and his eyes narrows as he caught sight of what Heero had discovered.

'Tire tracks...' He said with a dark expression.

'They're fresh.' Heero concluded after crouching down and touching them.

'Guys!' WuFei called 'Come on! North, remember!'

'Come on Heero... let's go.' He pulled the pilot away from the lead he had found.

Duo forced himself not to worry as they caught of with the others. These people down there were normal people, women and children. They were trained Gundam pilots, he was sure that when it came to the crunch they were able to defend themselves despite their weak state.

They headed North with, for the first time, Heero once again up front and WuFei closing the pack, muttering something about injustice under his breath. Duo couldn't help but smile as the team fell back in formation and, not wanting to be the one to send the domino stone stumbling again, he started chattering. Wufei's initial response was a suffering groan. But Duo smiled as he saw the corners of the chinese man's lips curl upwards. The 05 pilot had more in him than injustice-rants than they gave him credit for...

Yes, more indeed. I hope you all liked it.

C.W. 


	7. Chapter 7

The Forsaken

Chapter Seven

God, how large did God made this forest? They all wondered as they walked into the ninth day with heavy feet and growling stomachs. To top it off they could see threatening clouds nearing as they could once a while peek through the roof above their heads. Currently WuFei was holding Trowa's hand, which was all the support the tall pilot allowed him to give. WuFei had offered to carry Quatre, but in a fit, Trowa had refused.

Duo had joined Heero up front, enjoying the comfortable silence between them as he slowly walked closer and closer to the object of his affection. He couldn't take his eyes off him, even when Heero looked terrible, he somehow still looked beautiful. That reassured Duo in a way, because it told him he wasn't just attracted to Heero's face but also the beauty that came from inside the silent and stoic boy. Also, he couldn't help but notice the changes Heero had went through, while still the perfect soldier, he was granting Duo more and more glimpses behind his mask.

Duo came closer once again, their arms, which were swinging by their sides, occasionally brushing.

'Duo?'

He immediately enlarged the distance between them, looking at his comrade, partner, friend, whatever he was, with uncertain eyes. Had he pushed the line too far? 'Yeah?'

'I never thanked you.' Heero commented, without seeking eyecontact. His gaze was fixed far ahead of them.

Duo frowned but he was relieved so he dared to step in closer again and the warmth of Heero's brushing hand made him at ease. 'What for?'

'For what you did, on the branch.' Heero awkwardly explained.

'Heh, no sweat buddy, I like to think you would have done the same for me.'

'Well, I would, but I also would have expected you to thank me, had it been the other way around.'

Duo smiled and rufled Heero's already impossibly messy hair. 'You're welcome.'

With a scowl Heero swatted his hands away from his head. After a while he commented: 'That was a fine display of soldier reflexes.'

Duo looked at him seriously.

Feeling the serious gaze burning on his cheek Heero finally turned his head to look at Duo, frowning at the expression on his face.

'That weren't my soldier reflexes rushing to save another soldier.' Duo admitted. 'That were my friend reflexes trying to save my best friend. I wouldn't have responded as quickly had it been someone else, ya know?'

'Best friend?' Heero asked, looking as dazzled as one could expect the perfect soldier allowed himself to look.

Duo grinned 'Yeah, because like I said, that's what friends do, looking out for each other.'

Heero nodded 'Yes, that IS what friends do... and like I said, I would have done the same.'

Duo smiled goofily and dared to wrap and arm around Heero's shoulders 'Are you, mister perfect soldier Heero Yuy, trying to tell me that you think of me as a friend too?'

Heero removed the arm, though not in a hurting manner, it was just obvious that he didn't appreciate that much body contact, just yet. 'I never thought of you anything other than a friend.' He admitted, again avoiding eyecontact.

Duo laughed. 'Now that's a blunt lie! You hated me. I shot you-'

'Twice.' Heero cut in.

Duo sighed but it was rather out of amusement than irritation, 'You're gonna hold that against me forever, aren't ya? I'd say sorry had you not STOLEN from me.' He punched Heero playfully.

'Borrowed.' Heero corrected.

A loud snort 'Yeah right, borrowing without giving back. Borrowing without even having the INTENTION of giving it back.' He teased and felt pretty pleased with himself as he saw the corners of Heero's mouth curl upwards. 'What more do we have. Oh, the time you wanted to kill me, in that Oz cell.'

'But I didn't. And believe me when I say that wasn't the only time I thought about killing you.'

Duo only stared with eyes as large as saucers. 'I must check for the four horsemen as this must be the end of the world.' Duo turned and yelled to the others: 'Heero Yuy just cracked a joke!' he extracted a smile out of WuFei, Trowa merely rolled his eyes. Glad to see everything was back to normal, or as close as one could be to normal when hunted by some phycho, Oz soldiers and wolves and God knows what more tracked their footsteps.

'Let's not forget all the times you abandoned me to go save that chick.'

'Her name is Relena.'

Yes and boy did he hate her, like he didn't see through the hole 'Heero-I'm-Right-Here-So-Come-And-Kill-Me' act. Yeah, she digged him. 'Whatever. Oh and there was that time you punched me in the guts.'

'You punched me first.' Heero pointed out.

'You asked for it!' he paused 'Literally!'

'It was for your own safety.'

'Safety my ass. What's that's supposed to mean, huh? You think I can't play dead or something? Watch this.' After making a dramatic scene of dying he fell to the ground with a loud crash and lay dead still. He felt three sets of eyes on him, but two of them soon lost interest and he could feel them walk past them as they kept heading North. Heero waited however. He knew it was Heero, for now other glare could burn as intense as his. One always knew when he was on the receiving end of Heero's glare.

After a while Duo cracked one eye open and looked up at Heero, who was towering over him with a questioning look. 'Now if that's not Oscar worthy...'

'It's not.' Heero dryly cut in.

Duo fell back on the ground again, dead. 'No! Not another joke! Do you have no mercy!' he reached his hands towards the sky but was surprised to find Heero grabbing one of them and hoisting him up.

'Seriously though, you can't honsetly say you thought I couldn't play dead for a few seconds. And you also didn't come back to save me or anything so... in what way exactly did you think you were helping me?' Duo asked teasingly as he dusted off his pants.

Heero kept his mouth firmly shut and conitnued to walk, following the rest again who were quite far ahead by now as he had to wait to witness Duo's little act.

After a long while Heero spoke up, with a tone so unlike his usual monotone voice that Duo felt almost shocked and made him wonder if that was what Heero sounded like if he dropped the soldier act. If so, he wished he would do it more often and would grace them with more of that pleasant, normal voice but yet deep with wisdom he had gained in his short life.

'Duo, may I ask you something?'

Sensing that this was serious, it must be for Heero for once did not sound like a barking commander, he asnwered: 'Sure.' Instead of the usual teasing: 'You? Always.'

'Why are you so different now?'

'I don't understand...'

Heero stuffed his hands in the pockets of his ragged jeans and looked at the ground as they walked, not making an effort on catching up with the others. 'Before, you were so silent, you hardly ever joked and now you do it all the time, just like you used to do... before the crash.'

Duo smiled sadly 'Well, Heero, that because that's my part in this team.'

'Your part?'

'Yeah, we all have totally different characters and we all bring totally different things to the battle. Every single one of us has his own little tasks. You do the leading, making sure everything is clear. Trowa does a double check in case you missed something. Quatre is the kind force that binds us. WuFei is the one to make sure no one is left behind and I... I chatter. I chatter and joke so you guys don't have to worry, you don't have to think about... stuff, ya know. Not to forget I am a mean fighting machine!' He jokingly added.

Heero frowned and looked deep in thought. 'That's a pretty good theory.' He admitted.

Duo smiled, you know you've done something good when mister perfect soldier compliments you. 'Yeah, not bad for someone with my brain capacity, huh?' It was meant as a joke as he was not someone to hold grudges. But as Heero stopped dead in his tracks he soon figured that was not how Heero took it. He halted and looked back at his dumbstruck and hurted looking friend. It was almost scary to see that amount of emotion on his face. Before he could explain it was just a joke Heero spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper.

'Duo, none of us thinks you're stupid.'

He wasn't entirely sure if he agreed with that.

Heero caught onto his hesitation. 'You think we think of you like that?'

'Well... Come on, it's pretty obvious! You all had schooling and training... I... I was just a streetrat, ya know, G's second choice. If not his third or fourth.' He shrugged, most of the time it didn't really bother him, as long as they didn't make hurtful comments about it he was always able to repress his fear of being less, being useless, being inadequate. Talking about it was hard so he tried to cover it with a joke but he failed miserably.

'I don't think you're stupid.' Heero stated.

Duo smiled as he could see the honesty. 'Thanks Heero, really, I have to admit that I don't mind hearing that once in a while.' Feeling uncomfortable the joker mask slid into place. As soon as his emotions were covered up he could see Heero's face also turning into stone once again. 'Come on, the others are waiting for us.'

He didn't really know what just happened between them but the silence was no longer comfortable. Maybe they had gotten too personal, all Duo knew was that he no longer sneaked in closer as they walked side by side, catching up with the other who had stopped to wait for them. Even though he always thought of Heero as a friend, he never saw their relationship as friendship. It was hard to explain. His friendship always seemed unanswered. He thought heero was incapable of fixing his attention on anything other than the missions so it felt strange to have him reach out to him all of a sudden.

To top of the wonderful day he was having... it started to rain.

No, Rain, didn't adequately describe the ocean that fell down from the clouds. At first they only heard the drops falling on the leaves above them and for a few seconds they remained dry, but then the drops came through, falling from leaf onto leaf down to their heads. Normally, one would run to seek shelter from the rain, but they didn't bother. Not only did they not have the strength to run, they had no destination to run towards other than hundreds of miles North. As there was no shelter they resigned to their fate and let God soak their shredded clothing.

'This is just down right wonderful!' Duo commented as he noticed the silence was stretching too long again. He got no response, but he didn't talk to coax responses out of them. Taking his place in the group he started blabbering about how God had cursed them in so many ways he favoured the devil above them. And from one thing came to another and soon he was discussing, with himself only, why Heaven was so much better than Hell.

'...at least in hell it's nice and warm...' he commented, rubbing his arms in order to produce some heat.

'In heaven you have to be good ALL the time...'

'And if we are on earth nothing more than ants to god who is just a big bully with a magnifying glass, how do you think he'll treat us once we're in Heaven?'

'In Heaven is Everything white... I hate white...'

'Duo.' Came Trowa's warning tone through the roar of the rain.

'Yeah yeah, I know.' He imitated Trowa the best he could as he lamely called: 'Shut up Duo!'

'No...'

Duo noticed they had come to a halt... why? Looking to the side he saw Heero squinting his eyes trying to see in the relative dark that was created by the dark clouds above them. He followed his gaze and though it was hard to see through the rain in the shimmering dark he could definitely spot a square shadow about a hundred meters ahead of them. 'A cabin.' He concluded.

The others nodded.

After staring at it for a while Trowa turned, ready to walk around the wooden cabin with a large bow. 'It could be an OZ hideout. Or the forest shelter of the psycho who's hobby we witnessed earlier.' As he was about to walk away he was stopped by Heero, who carefully lay his hand on his upper arm, trying not to enrage him as he spoke softly:

'We can't let an opportunity like this slide.'

Trowa frowned.

'A forest cabin, a good chance it will stock food, clothes and maybe even antibiotics.'

Trowa contemplated on that for a while, looking back at the dark shadow between the trees. 'We can't take the risk.' He shot a glance at Quatre, whom he still carried on his back.

'We'd be doing Quatre a favor, he stands a better chance if get him medicine and some clothes... for all of us.'

03 looked back again at the cabin, looking deep in thought. After biting his lower lip for a while he turned to Heero and consented, though he didn't seem really comfortable with approaching this cabin.

Though the lights were out, which would suggest there was no one home, there was the risk he, whoever 'he' was, was sleeping. Or that the owner would come back while they were ransacking his house. Still, Heero was right, it was a risk they'd have to take.

Feel free to comment!

C.W. 


	8. Chapter 8

The Forsaken

Chapter Eight

After little argument they decided Trowa, Wufei and Quatre would stay behind, hiding in the bushes, ready to bolt should anything go wrong, while Heero and Duo cautiously closed in on the cabin.

Though their footseps were far from silent, crushing leaves each time they planted their feet, the noise of the rain covered that so they went unheard as they came closer and closer. The darkness was also in their advantage and soon, after going undetected thusfar, for as far as they knew, they stood in front of the small cabin's door. Duo watched, his clothes uncomfortably sticking to his body as Heero pressed his ear against the door, listening.

Taking initiative Duo crouched down and crawled towards one, of the in total only two, windows of the cabin. Sitting under the window he slowly raised hismelf on his trembling knees. Wether he was trembling from fear, loss of strength or cold, he didn't know. His best guess was that all of those factors were involved. Before raising his head above the windowstill he looked back and was satisfied to notice the other three were invisible in the heavy rain. He peeked into the cabin, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness inside. He felt Heero looking at him, waiting for his okay to open the door. It was hard to concentrate with such an intense gaze resting on him, but he managed and he concluded there was no one in the cabin. Still, Heero opened the door as soundless as possible and entered cautiously. Duo followed him in. As soon as his eyes were adjusted he noticed the cabin was larger than it seemed. It had one single bed, neatly made, a nightstand, a writing desk with a well used chair in front of it, a chest drawer and a larger closet. All furniture was made out of heavy dark wood.

The first thing he did was ran the tip of his index finger along the surface of the desk. With an unsatisfied frown he said: 'No dust.' That meant that someone had been there and had used this cabin for atleast a week or two ago, if not shorter. That someone was using this cabin frightened him but he will not be deterred, he remembered vividly what Heero told them about their shots at survival. While Heero searched for the important things they came for, Duo did a little investigating. He patted the pillow on the bed and was again concerned to notice no dust sprang up into the air. He directed his attention to the night stand, which was actually a simple wooden chair that found another use in life. On it's seat was a lamp, a flashlight and a pocketknife. The desk also homed a lamp and a phone, but as he picked it up he discovered it was out of order. In the middle lay a noteblock, but there was nothing written on it, though many pages were torn out. The desk had three drawers but all of them were locked and he didn't want to force them and leave a trace so, despite his dying curiosity, he moved on and gasped softly as he noticed a hunting gun hanging on the wall.

Heero, who responded to his gasp, pointed out: 'Be grateful it's on the wall, that probably means it hasn't been used in a long time. And that the owner doesn't bring it everywhere he goes.'

Duo nodded, though not soothed. Looking at Heero he saw he was plundering the chest drawer for clothes that fit their small, skinny frames.

He went back to his own search and opened the larger closet, which was devided with about ten shelves, all sporting what, at first sight, appeared to be personal junk one might have gathered over the years, spending lonely days cooped up in a cabin. He was excited to notice a white box with a red cross on it sitting on the top shelf. Standing on the tip of his toes he reached for it and placed it on the desk so he could search for what they needed. He found a few new syringes, still wrapped in plastic, two bottles with antibiotics, which he kissed gratefully and bandaid, along with other medicine with difficult names he couldn't even pronounce. 'Do we need any of these?' he held up the bottles with difficultly names medicine.

Heero scanned the etiquettes and before answering he asked: 'Do you have antibiotics?'

Duo smiled proudly 'Yep.'

He looked at the bottles again and after grabbing one of them and adding them to the pile he concluded for the others: 'No.'

Duo nodded and put them back in the box, which he placed on the shelf again. When done he walked outside and circled around the cabin, looking around, checking if no one was coming their way. When he was sure they were safe he went back in to continue exploring the closet. Three minites later, while he was still rumaging for valuable stuff Heero was the one to go outside and check the perimises. Not because he didn't trust Duo, but because that was something that had to be done once in a while when plundering the home of your could be enemy.

'Oh! There is a god...' Duo stated as he pulled a few cans from the bottom shelf and placed them on the bed. They had no etiquette but with black markers the content was described on it. Food. Most of them read: BEANS and while he hated beans, his mouth watered. Once they were done here and were at a safe distance they should risk making a little fire and then they could finally eat real food! Excited already he was quick to continue his search, eager to get out of the scary place and eat. His stomach agreed with a loud growl.

'Duo, get those matches too.'

Duo nodded and grabbed the small box, laying them onto the heap of clothes, medicine and cans. 'Do you think we have all we need?' Duo asked as he scanned the heap on the bed and what was left in the closet.

Heero looked at the pile as well and nodded after a while, looking around the cabin, being sure they didn't miss something. 'I think this will be enough, let's go.'

Duo nodded and grabbed the half of the pile Heero didn't lift, sharing the load. He was about to follow his partner when his eyes caught sight of a small key, hanging on a nail on the side of the desk, hidden in shadows. He whispered for Heero wait but the Japanese man kept on walking. Putting two and two together he figured the key fitted perfectly in the locks of the drawers. Gently putting down his half of the stolen goods he grabbed the key, mesmerised and with anxiety and hope a soldier should never have, he put it in the lock of the top drawer and turned the key. He smirked as he heard the lock clicking and the drawer could be opened. Inside he was met with disappointment as all he saw was a small, leatherbound book. He was about to reach for it when a strong hand gripped his shoulder, so mesmerized he didn;t even hear anyone coming and he let out a startled scream that was mufled by a hand that came up to cover his mouth. He bit the hand, insitincts kicking in, he turned to give this guy a piece of his own medicine but his eyes widened as he saw the unamused face of one Heero Yuy.

'Sorry man, you just scared the shit out of me!'

Heero put his fingers to his lips and whispered: 'Let's go.'

Duo nodded, he grabbed the stuff again after locking the drawer and putting the key back where he found it. With some disappoinment he left the book behind. He closed the door of the cabin behind him and ran after Heero. They picked up the others and for a few minutes they ran, they ran on fumes, their empty stomachs protesting but for some reason they felt there was a need to run, to get out of there as fast as possible, all the while, they kept heading north.

Five minutes of running and two hours of walking later, Heero decided it was far enough and he suggested they'd stop.

They agreed gratefully and fell to the floor.

The rain had lessened, but still the angels up in heaven continued to weep. Drops kept falling down, not giving them a chance to dry.

While they were in the cabin, Trowa had used his empty waterbottle, which they had salvaged from the plane, to catch the drops that came down from the sky and they shared the drink as they tried to catch their breaths.

'Thanks.' Duo muttered as he was handed the bottle after Heero. It didn't even cross his mind that Heero's lips had just touched the same surface his lips were now touching. Usually he would have drooled at the thought, but now, he only cared for the water. Call it survival instincts... His body knows very well it is in more need of water then Heero's lips. Though his heart seemed to disagree.

Be silent my heart, Duo said to hismelf as he got carried away with the thought. He handed the bottle back to Trowa who used the last bit to give Quatre a second drink.

Heads turned as Heero broke low thick branches off some trees and used them to make two A-frames. He buried the ends in the moist, no, call it soaked soil, making them stand straight up, about one and a half meter in between the two frames. Then he reached for the pile of stuff they had stolen and pulled out a large green waterresistant canvas which he used to finish his home made tent. He covered the ground in the tent, now sheltered from the rain, with a thick blanket he had stolen and motioned 03 to lay Quatre in the tent so they could bandage and clean his wounds. He didn't make a fuss about it when Trowa wanted to handle it so he crawled back out of the makeshift tent and convinced Duo and WuFei to share the one raincoat he had found. Huggled under the rain coat WuFei just blindly stared far away and Duo watched Heero devide the clothes between the five of them, they could change when the weather cleared. Though it didn't look like that would be any time soon. Duo couldn't wait to have fresh, intact clothing on his body again, even though they did possibly belong to a murderer. He couldn't wait to strip the clothing he had once puked on, off his his body.

'Was it an OZ cabin?' WuFei asked, maybe feeling the need to talk as they were sitting hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder.

'No... atleast, we didn't find anything that would suggest that an OZ soldier bunked there.' Duo answered as he didn't remember finding a uniform, badges or any other gun besides the one on the wall and that hardly seem like the regular OZ weaponary.

Night fell without the rain ever relenting. Duo didn't even recall falling asleep but soon enough he awoke to the sound of singing birds, the weather had cleared and the sun was shining brightly through the leaves making the forest a little less hostile. He smiled secretively as he noticed he, Heero and WuFei were still snuggled under the same raincoat while Trowa had slept in the tent after tending Quatre. Not having the heart to wake the boy that only looked serene when asleep he slowly crawled away, shivering in the cold as he no longer had Heero's body beside him to warm him up. He looked into the tent, finding Quatre still unconscious, already wearing new clothes. Trowa was no where to be found. Frowning he straightened and looked around, spotting the lone figure not far from them, his back facing their little camp. Part of his mind objected, but he ignored it as he approached the other pilot and went to stand besides him, noting that he too wore fresh clothing, loose, but fitting pants and a green sweater that was a good two sizes too large.

'Hey.' He received no acknowledgement but Trowa would have be deaf and blind to not notice Duo's presence.

After a while he spoke: 'You said you knew why I acted so 'strangely'?'

Duo nodded, for the first time in his life not elaborating.

'Well?' Trowa looked at him expectantly.

Duo smirked, it felt strangely satisfying to be the one with all the answers. Made him feel warmer than any sweater ever could. 'I think you're scared.'

Trowa snorted in a very Heero like matter as if to say: I fear nothing. Fear is for the weak.

'I think you were afraid Heero couldn't take it. When you carried him out of the plane... you thought he was unfit to lead us, so you took over. Natural dominant instincts.'

Though he resented being called bossy Trowa agreed with a curt, barely noticable nod.

'The only thing I can't explain is why it happened so all of a sudden, did something snap or...?'

'No... it was something I had been carrying around for quite a while. I'm not saying Heero is a bad leader and can't be trusted, for thus far he has kept us all safe and sound, though he might not have done it intentionally.'

Duo snickered, yes, Heero and his missions, have mercy apon the poor souls that stand in his way or slow him down...

'I've been questioning why we always follow him. We are equals, so how come we all resigned to our fate and let heero in charge.'

Duo sighed 'As much as I hate to admit it, Heero is a better soldier. He's not a better person, I believe he's not the kind of person that would come back for a fallen soldier,' though he did come back for me... 'but he is trained to lead, don't you agree?'

'Well, why was he trained to lead and not me or you?'

Duo shrugged 'I never question the good.'

Trowa frowned 'The good?'

The american made fierce eyecontact with the other pilot as he spoke seriously: 'Do you really whish you would have come out of your training like Heero? Do you seriously want to end up like him? I mean, I'm not trying to be mean, I like the guy, but there's hardly any humanity left.'

'... I guess you're right... but we all have our issues.'

'Well, I don't want to sound arrogant or anything but I rather have mine than his. So what if I joke just because I want to cry whenever I'm serious!' Okay, maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Thank god Trowa didn't comment, maybe because he noticed Duo whished he hadn't said that aloud. The guy was more considerate than he let on.

'I think Heero is a better leader.'

'Because I led us in circles?' Trowa half joked.

'No, because of Heero's reluctance to be humane. It allows him to see things objectively, he doesn't let emotions affect his decisions and that makes him take the most rational choices. You ever heard of that experiment? Wether a guy runs faster when chased by danger, or if he would receive a reward at the finish line? We... we are the guys that run fast from fear. Heero is the guy that runs fast for the money, or the mission is his case. The fear does not bother him, he's out for the money, he's out to achieve his goal. While we run from fear and if we get to the finish alive and get the cash, that's a nice bonus. You see where I'm heading?'

Trowa nodded, understanding.

'Good... So do you agree with me if I say it's best to let Heero lead the pack, just as he has been trained to do so?'

'Yes, but one question, if he is trained to lead? What I'm I trained for?'

Duo smirked and offered jokingly: 'To follow?' With that he left, leaving Trowa to ponder in an effort to find the answer to his own question.

Without asking Heero's permission, as Duo was hungry as hell, he got a small fire going and boiled one of the cans that read: BEANS. The smell of the beans cooking in the opened can must have awoken the perfect soldier. Soon Duo found the Japanese pilot standing next to him as Duo was crouching down in front of his 'pan' and was stirring the beans with a stick.

'You got a fire going.' Heero pointed out, sounding a little detached.

'Yeah. I'm sorry but I thought a good meal-'

'I don't mind.' Heero cut in as he crouched besides him 'I'm too hungry to care.'

Duo smiled, nearly splitting his face in two.

'How will we eat?'

'I stole some plates too, go get them.' Well, they weren't exactly plates, two small tin cans, two plastic cups and the cut out bottom of a coke bottle.

Heero retrieved them and they devided the food. Even though there was no way they could get it down Quatre's throat, they didn't have the heart to devide it in just four meals.

01, 02 and 05 were sitting in front of the fire, for the first time in ten days having a decent breakfast while Trowa tried his best to get the unconscious blonde to eat. Judging by the sound of his soft curses it wasn't working. It made them feel sad, but mostly just useless because they knew there was nothing they could do.

While Trowa was doing the best he could, Heero and Duo discussed the food.

'How many cans do we have?'

'Five.'

'I say we open one can a day, that will give us a fairly decent meal for five days.'

Heero lowered his eyes and then said softly, for once considering the others: 'It might be best to do two days with each can, that way we can last longer, remember Duo, we're a little less than two weeks away.'

Duo nodded, he figured that much, since they had been at the socalled halfway point after walking for a week. Unfortunately enough they had been tracing their own footsprints... 'Okay, two days, one can.' Not feeling like going into an argument because he knew Heero would not only win in the end, but was also probably right. Next was the clothing. Normally he would resent wearing anything that looked as ugly as the clothes Heero handed them, but now he grasped them out of his hands and hugged the warm heap thanking God for his mercy.

'Where do I change?' He slapped himself mentally, that were the comments that made them say: 'You don't have the brain capacity for it'... and here he thought he didn't hold grudges...

Heero, not making a big deal of stupid comment just shrugged and walked off with his own set.

Well, Duo might be grateful for many things at this moment. He was grateful for the food in his stomach, the drink that quenched his thirst and grateful for the warm clothes in his hands. But right now his mind was most grateful for the fact that he could shamelssly watch his co-pilot undress. As he stripped out of his own clothing, behind the only bushes near to the campsite his eyes kept wandering towards Heero, whom he was sharing the bushes with. Duo didn't complain. Strangely, Heero did neither.

While enjoying the feeling of the clothes he also enjoyed the scenery. When changing into loose black jeans and the stereotype lumberjack button-up shirt, chequered red and black he sneaked peeks at Heero who traded his usual too tight faded jeans and tank top that only looked good on a guy with his exact upperbody, for dark blue jeans and a grey sweater much like the one Trowa was wearing. Oh and they looked four sizes too big for Heero, but aestetics were not of their cocnern. Even though Duo was not surprised to notice he even looked good in those unflattering clothes that did his lean body no justice whatsoever. But then again, if one could make spandex look good, you can look haut-couture wearing a garbage bag.

When they returned Trowa just finished helping WuFei, much to his dismay, change his clothes into light jeans and a shirt with the same style as Duo's only his was coloured blue and black.

'Well, aren't we making a fashion statement!' Duo commented and for the first time he was able make them laugh. Well, not really, just the upward curling of lips but after days of gloominess he was happy to get just that.

After burning their clothes they extinquished the fire with sand and dirt and rolled the few things they had to take with them in the green canvas that had been used as a tent. Once turned into a neat package they all took their turns carrying it, passing it onto someone else every two hours. Except for Trowa, who still insisted to be the one to carry Quatre.

He had heard of survival stories and people getting all happy after having a decent meal. He always thought of it as bullshit but he couldn't help but whistle as they continued heading North, even though he knew very well that it must have dawned to everyone by now that most, maybe even none of them would make it there...

But there was only one thing for Duo to do... keep on whistling...

Yes, lame, I know... live with it.

C.W. 


	9. Chapter 9

The Forsaken

Chapter Nine

'This has got to be the worst week I've ever had, though for some reason I think of this day as the best of my life.' Duo commented, mostly to himself as he knew the others would have given up listening to him. Duo was just too happy with food in his stomach and wool on his body to complain about his foot or anything else for that matter. He strutted onwards, following the other guys.

Heero had taken on the task of guiding WuFei, who's eyesight had improved once again to allow him to see the blurry silhouettes of the people around him, but not the sneaky tree roots that had surfaced, trying to trip innocent hikers.

Duo fell silent, contemplating on which topic he would bring up next. He had talked about just about everything and that was not an exageration. He even went through the story of the birds and bees, he could have sworn seeing them trying to hide their flushed cheeks. The weather had been thoroughly discussed as was the nature surrounding them. He talked a good hour about how deathscythe is better than all the other Gundams, the first topic that brought on a response.. a non-agreeing one. He had already questioned the menaing of life and why they call things the way they call it. Like: why do we call a couch a couch? Yes, that had been a strange one sided discussion. Well he had whistled, then he sang, then he talked about whistling and singing, then he talked about the fact that he was a lousy singer. This too got a response out of the others... an agreeing one. So, running out of topics he attempted the impossible: 'Guys, I'm drawing a blank here, why don't you talk for a change?' That earned him some strange glances, even from Heero, though it didn't look any different than his glare he was certain the look was meant to be strange. It was probably just hard for him to scrunch his face up into unfamiliar expressions... like... all of them.

'Just a suggestion.' He retorted innocently. 'What time is it?' he nagged.

'Well, I didn't exactly bring a clock or anything.' Trowa spat back, obviously the irritation had grown over the last few discussed topics. Or maybe the birds and the bees were still bothering him.

'Well, can't you tell time by the sun or something stupid I was never taught.'

'Well, it's kinda hard to SEE the sun with all those trees in the way, don't you agree?'

Duo rolled his eyes 'Oh, don't you go funny on me now!' he made a few more attempts to get their attention but it was futile. Silence fell with an uncomfortable thickness that appeared to make each step a little heavier. So... singing perhaps? As soon as he hit the first note he was silenced.

'Duo, please, anything but that.' WuFei commented. 'You make me want to turn deaf.'

'Wow, aren't you guys in a piss mood.' He commented, a little angry that he wasn't able or allowed to do his job as the joker and the talker in the group.

Two days after ransacking the cabin passed, not quite in a blur. The occasional meal was satisfying but left them all feeling hungry by the end of the day, it was even worse because now they knew they had food with them but they weren't allowed to eat. Duo felt his eye twitching once in a while as he was assigned to carry the food supply permanently. The smell of the open can was literally driving him insane. He had the feeling like he was on the edge of the cliff and the can stood at the bottom, hundred feet beneath him and he had to hold himself from gladly jumping down to his dinner.

They no longer bothered climbing into the trees to sleep, not only did they not have the power, but the type of trees had changed over the past few days. There were no low branches, the lowest branches were at least a good ten feet up and were not even thick enough to hold their wait. An advantage was no longer having to duck to prevent from walking into a low branch, the downside was that as far as the eye could see, narrow treetrunks sticked out of the ground, while in the beginning Duo allowed himself to hope that each time the city would lie after the next sightobscuring tree. Always the next. But now... with no horizon and no sign of life hope began to sink even in the Americans shoes. He had lost count of the days, he knew he had worn the clothes for two days, but he couldn't remember how many days they had walked before that. It all was a vague blur because everyday was the same. The trees looked the same. The 'conversations' were the same, the weather was the same, sunny but chilly. Even the view of the others never changed. He formed the rear end of the pack, closest to him, walking a few feet up front was Trowa carrying Quatre, either he would be holding WuFei's hand or Heero would, who's was leading them, hopefully still going steady towards North... towards civilisation. Duo found it harder and harder to remember the things he had grown to love, like the smell and taste of fastfood, or the smell of cars smogging the air. God how he hated this forest...

'Are we there yet?' He joked halfheartedly, but he couldn't help but laughing loudly at his own joke, nearly falling and rolling on the floor. The light at the end of the tunnel had become so vague and dull it was almost funny to think of it. He heard a disturbing similarity between his own laugh and Heero's I-just-blew-up-another-MobileSuit-laughter. Scary indeed, so that made him laugh more.

It took him a awhile to notice the others had stopped to look at him. He could almost hear them thinking: By god, so he is the first to go insane... He laughed harder but flinched as someone touched his shoulder, almost too gentle to be any of his 'friends'. How he ever thought of them as friends, they did nothing normal friends would do, the only things they knew of each other were their names and the degree of their stubborness. Which made it even stranger why their death would concern him so much.

'Duo, are you okay?'

He looked into Heero's semi-compasisonate eyes and couldn't stop himself from holding his stomach and leaning over, laughing so hard tears were in his eyes. He could feel their startled stares apon him.

'Duo, what the fuck are you doing you crazy ass American?'

He laughed more and he couldn't keep himself standing up so he fell back onto his ass and threw his head back, still laughing, though it was slowly but surely dying.

'Duo...' He wasn't even sure who said that, it was hard to listen with so many voices screaming in his ears, though they sounded nothing like the voices of the other pilots. He heard women and children and among the unknown ones there was also a vaguely familiar voice from the past, screaming louder than all the others... Screams of people who had died, people who he had failed to save. That was funny right? That was funny stuff for the God of Death...

'Come on guys! Don't you think it's funny!'

The others exchanged worried looks.

'We're stuck in this fucking deserted forest...' it was hard to speak within bubbling laughs that made his chest shake almost painfully. 'We still have two more weeks to go and we only have food for eight days! And we all hate ecah other and want to strangle the others to the point of kannibalism!' His laughter faded and his tears were no more ones of happiness. He pointed at Quatre 'He's dying.' He pointed at Heero 'He's dying. And you and you and me! And in one hundred years an archeologist will dig up our rotting corpses and go like: what the hell were these goobers doing here in the middle of nowhere! Guess none of us has any BRAIN CAPACITY! HUH! We're ALL STUPID! IDIOTIC! CRAZY! We'd do everyone a favor if we just kill ourself right now and stop pretending that we'll EVER make it to safety, those beans only postpone the inevitable! No one ASKED for us! No one WANTS us! No one-' he was silenced by a loud smack resounding through the thick air. It took him a moment to realise the smack was caused by Heero's hand connecting harshly with his cheek. He touched the damaged cheek, he could feel it going red, the smack burned on his skin and as he touched it it felt like laying his hand in a hot pan, it was that hot. He blinked his eyes and slowly felt himself coming back from wheerever crazy place he had been. He blinked again and was almost surprised to see the others standing around him, looking down in concern, everyone but Heero, who looked irritated.

'I'm sorry guys..' He mumbled and rose to his feet, dusting off his clothes with both cheeks red from embarassment.

The others started walking again, but heero stayed behind a little longer, long enough to harshly whisper to him: 'Remember your part of the team.' Then he turned on his heels and took the lead again.

With a suffering sigh Duo picked up the green canvas containing the cans and he followed them with uncertain steps. He didn't know what just happened, he thought he had his fears and concerns under control, like he always had. It was the silence. He wasn't just talking for the others... maybe he was mostly talking for his own wellbeing. Maybe HE was the only one that could not stand the defeaning silence. Because silence allowed him to hear everything. Everything he didn't want to hear. Before the lost souls that wandered in his head could start screaming again he started talking... about the alphabet and why it was in the order it was in.

I'm gonna take a break here, staring intently at those letters is giving me a headache. The sacrifices Jessy makes...

There'll be more tomorrow if not sooner!

C.W. 


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, so it took me a little longer... sorry.

Thanks to Modified tam and Tina-Chan 0: Thank you so much for reviewing, it was sweet, I loved it, I hope I won't disappoint you with chapter Ten! Love, C.W.

The Forsaken

Chapter Ten

The fourteenth day. Yes, Duo was pretty sure it was the fourteenth day. He sat pondering on the ground as the four conscious ones of the Gundam Team all stared at the small fire that flickered before them, dancing in the cool night. They all had come close to warm themselves as the nights got colder and colder as their little 'camping spree' progressed. They had just finished the second can of food, beans again and were left with three more. Six more days of food... ten more days of walking, if not more. He could also look at it from the bright side and consider the distance may be less, but he wasn't it that kind of mood. In fact, he hadn't been in such a mood for a very long time, if ever. While the sufrace had been smiling, his soul was crying, listening to those screams. He could hear them again, not even bothering to put up a facade as the others had all witnissed his little breakdown two days earlier.

With his legs drawn up to his body for warmth he stared at the dancing flames that fought away the chill in a two meter radius around the fire. Fires were a bad idea when hunted, especially at night. Every soldier who had read the rulebook could tell you so, probably even name which rule it was... number one probably. But ask any soldier who had went through what they were going through and Duo was sure he would have answered that he couldn't care less about being caught after spending so many nights shivering violently, after walking for so long that his legs had permanently gone numb and even grateful for the numb that didn't allow him to feel the pain of the blisters that marred the sole of his feet. Yes, after a while, fires were very good. Even Heero had to agree. Well, he would never, but he also didn't object and even helped gathering wood.

Trowa had found a way to force some food down Quatre's throat, pushing it in so deep it made Duo almost vomit just looking at it. Quatre's onconscious body would protest, but one day he would thank them for it, if they ever got that far. Duo forced himself to think only minutes ahead. He didn't want to think about the days of tedious and tiring torture they still had ahead of them.

Heero had taken off his shoes to let them dry and was massaging his feet. Duo didn't dare to take off his own, afraid of what he might see. Heero's feet were in a pretty good state, considering. Well, there was a reason he was nicknamed The Perfect Soldier. All of their nicknames had been custimised for them. But Duo couldn't help but starting to hate his own. How much longer should he call himself the God of Death? How much longer did he want to be that person?

Wufei was lying on the raincoat that was spread out on the ground to keep the moist soil from reaching him. He kept turning, unable to find a comfortable position on the hard ground, that's why nowadays they always sat upright when they slept. That way their bodies absorbed less cold from the ground.

Trowa was just sitting and staring, much like Duo himself. He had been rubbing his arms till Heero said: 'Don't bother with your arms, rub your chest instead, the rest will warm up on it's own.' Without hostile glares he took the advise and was still rubbing his chest to this very moment. A good hour must have passed.

What time was it?

He didn't dare to ask and just kept staring. He wished G had taught him how to tell time judging by the sun or the moon and the stars. He lifted his hand and brought his wrist up to his face. He stared at the broken watch, only still wearing it for sentimental reasons... or maybe just because it would be a waste of energy to take it off.

Heero never sat still, unlike the rest of them. He was always moving. Now he had grabbed a medicine bottle and moistened a piece of bandaid with it. Using it as a cloth he cleaned the gash on his face, never even wincing, while Duo knew from first hand experience that stuff stung like the devil with a pitchfork.

Quatre was in his tent again, in the same state as ever... Duo wondered if he ever got used to only seeing the other three. He wondered if he ever got used to the fact that the Gundam Team only consisted out of four now... and if they didn't find help soon... there would be no team at all.

He shook his head, what was he thinking! He shouldn't forget that thusfar they were STILL Gundam Pilots. Fucking Gundam Pilots. Heero had selfdestructed and lived to tell the tale! Trowa tames lions! WuFei takes out four guys with a single swing of his sword! And Duo himself had a reputation of surviving to keep high himself. This wasn't the first time he was faced with starvation or death!

With a curt nod of his head he joined Wufei on the raincoat, leaning against each other to stay upright and promptly fell asleep.

He woke up that morning expecting a same day as the day before, or the day before that, but he was in for a surprise...

They packed their stuff, kicking the ramains of the fire that had died during the night without them noticing. Heero scattered the black wood around, hoping soldiers wouldn't recognise it as the scattered remains of a camp fire, once done cleaning what they, in the Gundam-pilot-running-for-his-life-once-again liked to call 'The crime Scene'. Okay, so only Duo liked to call it that way, what did it matter?

'It's a beautiful dayyyyyy... The sun is shining, I feel good-'

'Duo, what did we say about singing?'

'That you don't like it?' He said with a mocking smile.

'Exactly.'

Duo continued to sing.

'Duo!'

'What! I never said I agreed with you.' He'd be damned to let that same silence that drove him crazy before take the upper hand once again. He sang all the songs he knew, even the ones he only partially knew, much to the chagrin of a certain Chinese.

'Take me home, country road, to the place where I BELONG!'

Duo was silenced and four heads whipped into the same direction with shifting wide eyes as they all heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, not far from them.

Duo stood trembling on his legs as his singing, or whining like a cat as Wufei so lovingly put it, might have given away their location.

Agreeing on a decision without ever saying a word they turned into the exact optisite direction, which was thank god still north and broke into a sprint. Like cheetahs they ran with a burst of power caused by the adrenaline that ran through their bodies like a high performance drug. Their hole bodies ached and burned but they refused to stop to catch their breath as they kept running and running, not even realising that they were slowing down so much that after only a minute their sprint was a pace a mere notch faster than walking.

Looking back in fear he saw a man, nothing more than a dark and tall shadow in the morning mist chasing them. 'He's on our heels!' Duo screamed, trying to create the same energy burst as before, but it was gone and as he looked again, he could clearly see the man's face, though he didn't dare to look long or make eyecontact. Feeling faint he decided that there was no use running. It was like eating those beans, postponing the inevitable. Never one to fear death as much as other people would he gave up and didn't even bother to restore his balance as he felt himself tripping over his own feet and crashing to the ground with a surrendering groan. He rolled onto his back and the man chasing them kneeled down beside him, large hunting gun in his hand. Taking him in he noticed he wore no uniform, so it must be the psycho from the body pit. But he frowned seeing the expression on his face.

He frowned deeper when he heard Heero's hoarse voice call, strangely from very close: 'Stay away from him!'

The man stood and was barely able to avoid being hit by the branch Heeor had picked up from the ground and swung at him like an agressive prehistoric man.

'Wow, boy!' the man called, dropping his gun and raising his hand, trying to show his surrender but also wanting to calm the japanese boy that dangerously growled at him and took a step closer. He must have looked very intimidating to make a six foot tall, strong built guy back up for his mere 5"5 foot tall form.

Heero was standing close next to the still grounded Duo, fixing a deadly gaze on the man.

'Heero, Heero stop.' He tugged at the other's leg in vain.

'Listen boy,' the man joined in. 'I'm not gonna hurt ya,' he pointed at the gun lying disgarded on the ground, 'See?'

The others joined in with a glare equally as intense as Heero.

The man swallowed. He wore clothing that resembled Duo's outfit so Duo made a firm guess that the cabin was his. His face was surprised and innocent looking, of course, being a gundam pilot and this being a forest with it's own personal crater full of rotting corpses, you can't trust anyone, but maybe they should consider asking this man for help.

'I'm Frank Gump. My friends call me Forest Gump.' He laughed at his own joke but his laughter died apon seeing their cold stares. 'Uhm, I'm the forester here... I... I have a little forest house not far from here...' he pointed west, so he couldn't be talking about the cabin they had already been in. 'Who are you guys?' he smiled even though he received nothing more that deadly looks. 'You can atleast tell me your names, since you're wearing my clothes and all.'

Duo scrambled to his feet and though not appearing too friendly or weak, he said in a neatral tone: 'I'm Du..ane. I'm Duane.' He lied, it was the first fake name that came to mind. 'These are my friends; Trevor, Quin, Hailey and Wilson, but we always call him Willy.' He grinned as he looked back at Wufei, who was glaring more dangerously because of his name than because of Frank. And no, it was no coincidence that he chose a bit of a girly name for heero. He always wanted to do that and have a good excuse for it.

'Are you boys from Oz? Because I saw that crashed Oz plane a few days away from here.'

Duo nodded 'Yes, we're Oz soldiers, we were on a very important mission.'

'You're a bit young, but then again I could have expected that Oz poisons the mind of people at a very young age, no offense to you guys of course, I just think boys your age should be in school, not in the army... I saw that plane, you guys should be happy to be al-' He stopped himself as he looked at 'Quin'. 'Is he...?'

'No,' 'Trevor' answered 'But he is badly wounded.'

'Well, I wouldn't want to disturb your important mission but I have more medication at my house and a good bed and you boys must be hungry.'

Their eyes lightened at the promise of food and without further discussion they thanked Frank and followed him.

Being sure they were out of hearing range Heero whispered: 'This is very dangerous.'

'Heero, the guy has all we need, it's worth the risk, don't you think? I mean, he's the fucking forest ranger, you think the guy doesn't have a car or something? Maybe we can get him to drive us to the city. Besides, he doesn't like Oz, so he should be okay.'

'I don't trust him.'

'We don't have to trust him... we have to exploit him. Besides, we're gundam pilots, we can handle.'

Heero was sielnt for a while, considering that then he said half jokingly: 'You should have never chosen our names for us.'

'Sorry man, some opportunities are just too good to let them slide.'

'Yeah but... Hailey?'

'I happen to like that name.' Duo retorted with a smirk. 'Consider yourself lucky, you could have ended up like Willy over there.'

'Oh, I swear...' The chinese pilot threatened.

'I suppose you can't tell me zilch about that mission of yours?' frank asked, interested, he came to walk next to them instead of up front.

Fearing that he might have heard their conversation after all 'Duane' acted as casual as possible 'Nope, that's top secret.'

'Well, atleast you boys got yourself interesting carreers, huh?'

'Well, a forest isn't boring either, with that body pit.' He examined the man's face, trying to determine anything by his reaction. But either he was an honest man or a very good liar as he answered:

'What body pit?'

'Not far from our crashsite, there a crater with dumped bodies.' 'Hailey' pointed out.

The man seemed genuinely shocked at hearing this. A very good liar maybe? 'Oh my God...' He fell silent, not knowing what to say. 'Near your crashsite you said?'

'Hailey' nodded.

'Hm... that needs some investigating. That stupid war... the only thing they achieve is more bloodshed.' He appeared to be really angry.

After two hours of walking, Frank talking about his work and only once in a while questioning about them they reached a large cabin, supported on one meter high stilts, with a creaking stairway that led up to the frontdoor. Next to the house was a small cabin on ground floor, probably for storing supplies.

'Well, it ain't much but it's home. Come in.'

They climbed up the stairs and entered the house that resembled the simple cabin they had been in before. Dark wooden floor, a single, neatly made bed and the same closets, only this time a small, ugly green kitchen complete with dinner table for four was added to the one room home. They could see a door that must go the bathroom and there was a small livingroom area with one ugly dark green, leather couch, a wornout coffe table and a rocking chair. Surprisingly there were only few personal artifact considering the fact that the man lived there permanently. There were some old, yellow and brown pictures of the landscape and wild animals hanging on the wall, but other than that, besides the stuffed head of a deer, the walls were bare.

'It's not like we were expecting a Four Seasons.' Duo commented making Frank smile.

'Well, like i said, it isn't much, but it's better than sleeping outside.' He walked to his kitchen and the first thing he did was giving them all an apple.

Duo gratefully sank his teeth into the fruit. Heero at first looked looked at it suspiciously but his hunger overpowered his suspicion and he ate as well. As soon as the taste hit him he sped up his slow munching. Trowa first lay Quatre on the couch and sat down next to him, he ate his apple while staring at his friend in concern. WuFei found it hard to semi-blindly locate his mouth so on the first attempt he hit his cheek, but he quickly adjusted his aim.

'Thank you so much.' Duo said with a full mouth.

'You're welcome. You can lay him on the bed.' He spoke to Trowa, who immediately took the opportunity.

'We're very sorry about breaking into your cabin.'

'That old shack? That's just there for emergencies and I guess this was an emergency. You can all shower if you want, just make yourself at home, there is food in the fridge. I'd love to chat some more but I have to catch some sleep, I always patrole in the night, that's the time most hunters come to shoot the endeagered deers that live in this forest.'

They nodded in understanding and watched as Frank pulled a bed down that was folded up horizontally against the wall. He quickly made the bed and closed a curtain, again ugly and green, to create a private quarter, giving him some privacy. The same curtain surrounded the bed Quatre currently rested on. Soon they heard Franks loud snoring. It was a bit unnerving that he trusted them so much. It was all so sudden, they meet him, he invites them, he goes to sleep, leaving them alone... anyone, not just Gundam Pilots, would feel a certain degree of distrust.

'Do you mind if I go first?' Duo asked, eager to hit the showers, he couldn't wait to wash all the filth off his body and smell fresh again.

The others nodded, settling down on the couch or at the kitchen table.

Duo disappeared into the bathroom and scrunched up his face as he saw the familiar colour. This guy has no taste at all, he thought as he inspected the mint green tiles that lined the floor and the walls. He looked at himself in the mirror that hung above the sink. He groaned. 'God you look like shit...' he said to his reflection and kicked off his dirty boxer. He made a face, just realising how long he had been wearing the damn thing. Worries were soon forgotten though as he caught sight of the toilet seat. 'Oh... Heaven...' He said and used the opportunity to finely do his business in a sanitary environment. He looked around, noticing mold between the tiles. 'Okay... semi-sanitary... but after peeing in the bushes for so long i'd be the last to complain.' He flushed and then fiddled with the shower. He was used to an advanced thermostat, but here you had to manually open the cold and hot water faucet, trying to balance them out into the perfect temperature. Though the water was still a little on the cold side he decided that he couldn't take much longer and he jumped under, gasping and actually moaning in pleasure as he felt himself becoming clean once again. He was the type of guy that needed a daily shower, not just because of his hair, but because it felt like he wasn't just clensing his body, but his mind as well. Also, the hiss and the dripping of the water made the use for words to fill silent voids unnecessary. He used as little shampoo as possible and worked as quick as his could. Normally his showers, including the drying off could take about two hours, he didn't want the other to wait that long for their own refreshment.

Usually showering went accompanied with one consistent thing on his mind and by God if one could not guess what they haven't been paying attention to the subtle and less subtle signs he had been emitting from the day he was first faced with the person that would ever since occupy his mind.

Heero Yuy

An enigma, wrapped in a puzzle, hidden in a maze of darkness and words with an unknown deeper meaning.

But like mentioned before, things were different now and all he could think of was just how wonderful this felt. You never know what you have till you lost it. Well, let's just say that if he hadn't appreciated his showers before, he would now.

He came out of the shower, pushing the curtain aside, with a reborn strength, the water had washed off all his worries and took them down into the draining pipe. It gurgled as it swallowed everything that had been rinsed off. Mud, dried sweat, leaves, twigs, sand, everything.

He towelled off and stepped out of the bathroom in record time. The others were in the same position he had left them in, not surprisingly. He held the bathroom door open invitingly after stepping out. 'Anyone?' he offered.

WuFei nodded and on his found found his way to Duo.

He tried to explain the Chinese pilot that the faucets were difficult to figure out and he offered to help, but WuFei just swatted his helping hands away and pushed him back out, quickly locking the door.

'Okay, I get it, I get it!' He shook his head and sat down at the dinner table, right across from Heero.Only now he noticed how bad the others smelled, how bad he had smelled. He held his hand before his mouth and breathed against it and then sniffing the air he had exhaled. It was awful, he grimaced.

He listened to Franks snores 'Weird man don't you think Hee-chan?'

'Duo!' He hissed 'My names 'Hailey', remember?'

Duo snickered 'I know, just wanted to hear you say it.'

'Idiot. And yes, he is a strange guy, too strange, too kind.'

'Is the Perfect-Soldier-Spots-Danger-Alarm going off?'

Heero shot him a sharp, dagger like look and then fixed his gaze on the curtain Frank lay behind. 'Yes. But it also went off when I met you, so this alarm can't be trusted.'

Duo snickered 'The alarm goes of at the alarm!'

Heero pierced him again with a look as cold as steel on a wintermorning.

Okay, someone was not amused. 'Sorry... Hailey.'

'Apology accepted, Duane. Is there any reason why you chose the name of a wanna-be drug dealer from Italy?' Heero whispered, so softly that even IF Frank was awake, he couldn't hear it if his ears were as large as satelites.

'Are you trying to make me laugh?'

'Guys.' WuFei cut in, coming out of the bathroom.

Duo looked at the clock on the wall, he had been in there for fifteen minutes. For a moment he doubted he had actually showered but his black wet hair denied that.

Seeing as Trowa was still too busy fussing over Quatre Heero decided to take his turn. Seconds later the water could be heard running again.

'What time is it?' WuFei asked, sitting down at the table with some difficulty.

Duo had to restrain himself from not coming to his aid. He looked at the clock again, even though he looked just seconds ago. It was an impuls triggered by the question. 'Four O'clock. You want anything to eat?'

WuFei shook his head, strangely. 'Let's wait for Heero and Trowa to finish, have proper dinner.'

Duo nodded even though he was not attached to traditions such as dining together.

They all settled down at the dinner table at six O'clock, it had taken a little longer before Trowa took the effort of also washing Quatre's battered body.

Before he dug into his meal, a few slices of bread with cheese, peanutbutter and jelly he laced his fingers together and said a silent prayer. He wanted to do it inwardly but unconsciously the words of grace slipped out of his mouth in soft whispers. After throroughly thanking God for them still being alive and begging him to get them to safety in time he made a cross and then looked up, surprised to find the others had copied his position, even though he knew they didn't practise Catholism.

He smiled at them, feeling his heart warm at the sight of his friends, yes they were his friends, even though it was hard to realise that after his little breakdown. He felt like crying, but he didn't. Instead he broadened his smile to show them how thankful he was. It touched him to see for the first time that they respected him, even though they pretended to think of him only as an anoying brat who couldn't be shut up by anyone other than God's will.

They smiled back and with a curt nod from everyone they started eating.

To be really honest, I hate betaing, it's boring, but at the same time I feel proud for accomplishing more than throwing some chatter onto a paper and then waiting for someone else to make it right. Please tell me if I'm doing a good job (spelling/plot) and be honest! No seriously, I mean it, be honest!

I shall see you when I see you and I hope to see you soon!

Crimson Waterfall, at your service. 


	11. Chapter 11

The Forsaken

Chapter Eleven

Frank awoke at ten O'clock, pushing the curtain aside and stretching lengthily before even opening his eyes and looking at the four boys sitting scattered in his livingroom. He smiled at them but his smile was interrupted by a yawn. 'Sorry 'bout that.' He excused. 'Everyone had a shower and something to eat?'

They nodded.

'Good... Now, I'll be leaving in an hour, you guys can stay here, nice and warm, though I only have two beds and a couch, so you'll have to share, I hope that's not a problem.'

They shook their heads.

Frank grinned 'Not very talkative, are ya?'

They shook their heads again though Duo felt stares coming from every direction as he too denied being talkative.

'Uhm... maybe we should get to get acquinted as you guys will be sleeping in my house and all.' Frank plopped down into the rocking chair which creaked under his weight. He told some superficial things about himself, his job and the family he didn't have, therefor the lack of pictures of his kids or wife. Once done he looked at them in question but none of them voluntered to offer information, since they had to make it all up.

'So, Hailey, right... That's a bit of an odd name.' Frank started, making their pulses rise.

'What, you think it harms my masculinity?' Heero spat.

The forester leaned back and raised his hands in surender 'No, no, that's not what I meant. It's a nice name it's just that... well, it's not an Asian name. You are Asian, right?'

'Yes.'

'So how come the name?'

'Brittish father.'

Frank nodded, content with that answer, he turned to Duo. 'Unlike his name, your hair does harm your masculinity.' He said, though not in an offending way, rather in an amusing one, trying to get a laugh out of them.

'I really don't care.' Duo said, trying to not sound offending himself as he faked a kind smile.

'Good, you shouldn't.'

'Do you care?'

Frank pointed at himself in question 'Me! No! I'm not homophobic or anything!'

02 frowned 'I never said I was gay'  
'But you are.' WuFei cut in.

Duo shot a glare at an insanely grinning WuFei.

'You couldn't shut up about your beloved boyfriend Peter.' WuFei lied, his face gloating as he could feel Duo's temperature rise as he was not able to deny this without making them all look suspicious.

'Thank you for pointing that out for me, WILLY.' This man was having too much fun with his revenge, a thing he always said to be ugly and dishonourable. Hn, hypocrite.

'Oh, Duane.'

He almost flinched as WuFei continued with a smug look on his face.

'Tell us more about his golden hair and honest green eyes.' WuFei spoke as a love giddy schoolgirl as he fidgeted in his seat, waiting for 'more'.

He no longer knew wether to laugh or to cry, but he edged toward laughing, seeing WuFei behave like this was totally out of the blue and out of character and if it had been the other way around he would be laughing his ass off, so he guessed it deserved an inward smirk and compliments to WuFei and his newly found talent.

'Uh...' Frank looked rightfully uncomfortable. 'I hate to break your moods, but what happened to your friend, Quin was his name?'

'It happened in the crash.' Trowa lied, sending a haunting look Quatre's way.

'Oh... I'm sorry, it's obviously a tender subject. I should be heading out. I have a little viewing tower not that far from here. If you exit the frontdoor just keep heading straight forward, you can't miss it, in case you need me. There is more bandage in that closet and you can eat all you want, I'm heading to town the day after tomorrow to get new supplies.'

'To town?' Their ears perked up at that word as they spoke in unison.

'Do you mind taking us to town with you, we all need to see a docter.' Duo rushed to say.

Frank shrugged 'Sure, why not, we'll make a road trip out of it.' He put on another sweater for warmth and then a raincoat, much like the one they had stolen. He grabbed a flashlight and a box of cigarettes and with one last cheerful goodbye and a 'I'll be back at seven' he was gone.

'You hear that guys, two more days and then we're out of here. How long is the trip by car you reckon?'

'If he speeds up it's a two day drive.' Heero answered, hope hinting in his own voice at the prospect of getting out of here.

'I say we go to bed and try to convince Frank to leave for the city tomorrow.' Trowa suggested and they all agreed.

'Only two of us have to share.' Heero pointed out.

'What do you mean there are only three 'beds'.'

'Well, Duo, that you decided to trust this guy enough to come with him does not mean I like the idea of all of us falling asleep. We take turns standing guards. It's almost eleven O'clock now and Frank returns at seven. Eight hours, devided by three.'

WuFei stepped up with an angry expression. 'Three? Why aren't you counting me in?'

'...' heero couldn't find a way to subtly put it.

'Oh, don't you '...' me! My hearing is fine and my vision has improved, i can stand guard.'

'Fine, eight devided by four. Each stands guard at the frontdoor for two hours, when done he wakes the next. I'll go first, than WuFei, then Duo, then Trowa.'

'Why that order?' Duo asked, merely to tease.

'Just random, why?' The little bit of teasing already got Heero irritated.

'Just checking, never thought you'd be capable of doing anything in any order than aplhabetically.'

'Ha ha.' He said sarcastically and went for the door 'Goodnight.' He grabbed a chair and placed it next to the frontdoor and plopped down on it, arms crossed against his chest and a fierce gaze settling on a certain spot on the opposite wall.

'So, who will share?'

Trowa and Wufei looked at each other, or at least WuFei tried. Then the Chinese decided: 'I don't want to share with you, you drool and you snore.'

'I do not snore!' The drooling could be true though, Duo always just figured he had cried in his sleep when waking up to a wet spot. But drooling was more logical as a certain rock he fell in love with played the main parts in most of his dreams. 'Why won't you share with Quatre?' It was no secret to Duo that something more was going on between those two than friendship.

'I don't want to end up hurting him in my sleep.' Trowa answered.

Duo glared at the two of them 'You two are a bit too eager to share a bed.'

They rolled their eyes. 'You take the couch.' They said in unison and then crawled into the bed Frank had just slept in, not even caring about that fact.

Grumbling Duo got some extra blankets out of the closet and settled on the cold leather of the couch. 'Heero, kill the lights, would you please?' Had Heero been armed he never would have dared to ask him that.

With an audible switch the lights went off and the room settled in total darkness. Duo felt a bit uncomfortable falling asleep with Heero just staring about, but he couldn't fight the fatigue for long and fell asleep, thankful no nightmares bothered him.

When he awoke he feared it was morning already, he feared it because he was still dead tired but once he realised he still couldn't see, despite the fact that his eyes were wide open reassured him he still had time to catch some sleep. Now what had awoken him? His eyes widened further as he noticed the weight settling down next to him on the large couch. He turned to come face to face with Heero that was just lying down next him him. He could see WuFei head for the frontdoor, going outside, probably in need of fresh air to awaken him for his two hour shift.

Heero's eyes widened slightly as he ownly just discovered Duo had woke up. 'Sorry.' He muttered.

Who Heero would share a bed with never even crossed his mind till he felt him crawling onto his couch with a sigh that was unmistably Heero's. He couldn't help but feel pleased with himself to have Heero chosing him as his bedmate, even though for Heero, lying next to Trowa was never an option. He also felt a bit of pride as he had half suspected Heero grabbing another blanket and sleeping on the hard ground. He had overcome his fears of being close to people for the sake of a goodnight's rest. That was improvement. Feelings were overshadowed by uncertainity as he wondered how the hell he could ever sleep with Heero lying so close, within reach of his tingling fingertops that had been longing to touch for so long. Even though they were lying as far apart as the relatively wide expanse of the seat of the couch allowed he could still feel Heero's laboured breath caressing his skin. Granted, his breath did not smell like a bed of roses but Duo had gotten used to his own stinky breath and he shan't complain. Just the fact that it was Heero's body he brushed occasionally as he shifted was tantilising enough for him to ignore his nose and settle for watching and feeling only.

'I'm sorry for waking you.' Heero said again, looking uncomfortable under Duo's scrutinity.

'That's okay, it would be better to know than waking up next to someone and not realising whom.' He chuckled at his own lame joke.

Heero merely nodded.

'We should change places though, or I'll wake you up when crawling out for my shift.'

Heero nodded again and was about to step out, but Duo made that unnecessary as he pulled Heero closer and then rolled over him, relocating himself to the edge of the couch, Heero captured between him and the back of the couch. Smooth move Maxwell, he thought to hismelf and smiled at Heero who looked as shellshocked as a stone could be. Only his eyes betrayed his emotion but Duo understood those eyes well enough to write a dictionary, English - Heero/Heero - English.

'You know Heero, after my little... episode you said to me I shouldn't forget my part in the group.'

'Hn.'

'Well, you shouldn't forget yours either.'

'Hn?'

'You are the leader, you're not supposed to come back for fallen soldiers.'

Realising he was talking about this day when he thought Frank was attacking Duo Heero answered: 'I wasn't coming back for a fallen soldier. I was coming back for a fallen friend.' After a short silence he added: 'That's what friends do.'

Duo smiled frome ar to ear 'How is it possible, Heero Yuy, for me to hate you one moment and love you the next.'

The word Love had Heero swallowing loudly but Duo wasn't about to let that take back what he said even though he risked disgusting Heero. He didn't seem like the type of guy to be homophobic, just because he had no knowledge whatsoever about social rules and dislikes and prejudice.

'You never seize to amaze me...' he said whistfully and brought a hand up to stroke Heero's undamaged cheek, marveling at it's softness, though he only had a second for Heero pulled away. 'I'm sorry.' He brought his hand back under the cover again and berated hismelf for being so forward.

Heero let out a long sigh which hitched momentarily in the middle of it and he appeared to be in pain.

'How's your chest?' He almost didn't dare to ask.

Heero raised his shirt to show him his black, blue, purple and yellow chest. 'How's your foot?'

'Swollen, not a pretty sight...'

'Like my chest is...'

He bit back his tongue as he threatened to say that Heero was always a pretty sight to see, no matter what state he was in. But he caught his words just in time and merely smiled sadly. He didn't want to scare him off just now they were making such great progress.

'Let's sleep. You only have two hours before it's your turn.'

Duo nodded and watched Heero close his eyes. In mere minutes his breathing evened out and he gone, sucked into morpheus world. Duo crawled a little closer, knowing that falling of the edge of the couch was always an excuse he could use for scooting closer towards Heero's warm body. He felt himself twitch with the need to wrap his arms around him. Normally, Heero did not look inviting enough to hug, no matter how pretty he was. You just knew by looking at them that you get more compassion out of hugging a rock. But in his sleep, Heero was the young adorable boy he was supposed to be. The sort of boy he would have been if not for J, The Gundams, the war, the bloodshed...

Knowing Heero was a light sleeper he didn't dare to touch his lips, no matter how much he wanted.

God, he thought, I'll never be able to sleep. Yet, WuFei had to shake him three times, two hours later before he rolled out, so unknowingly he had caught a few moments of sleep. With tired eyes he scanned the room for the who-know-how-many-th time.

Fifteen more minutes and then I can wake Trowa...

Fourteen more minutes and then I can wake Trowa...

Thirteen more minutes and then I can wake Trowa...

Five more minutes and... He groaned as he realised he had dozed off for a few minutes there.

Four more minutes and then I can wake Trowa.

He ended up waking Trowa three minutes too early but he didn't complain. Not even thinking about joing WuFei in the bed, though the look on his face in the morning would be priceless, he rather slept next to Heero again, who surprisingly didn't even wake up when he setlled next to him again.

'Bed hog.' He said with a smile and, daring as he was, now knowing that Heero wouldn't wake up so easily, he leaned forward and placed a featherlight kiss on Heero's lips, hoping Trowa wouldn't notice any of it. When Heero also didn't notice and apparently so did Trowa he leaned in for another kiss, a little less light then before, but yet it was not enough pressure to wake Heero, thank God. When he went for his third kiss, too enchanted to stop now, he made Heero stir, causing his breath to hitch and his pulse to quicken. But the stir was all, Heero kept on sleeping peacefully. Telling himself that it wasn't worth taking the risk of waking Heero and ruining their blossoming friendship he scooted back as far as he could, the only was to resist temptation and closed his eyes. He encouraged his nose to smell, hoping that Heero's breath would repulse him but he didn't even detect it, that's how madly in love he was...

But for the sake of their friendship, Heero will never know.

Ah yes, for the sake of their friendship, how romantic. Like that's gonna last long! ;)

C.W. 


	12. Chapter 12

Here I am once again to bore you to death with my ultimate weapon:

The Forsaken

Chapter Twelve

Glancing briefly at the clock after being awoken by bright sunlight Duo registered it was a quarter to seven. Frank would be home in fifteen minutes. He moaned as he did not want to leave the warmth of his 'bed'. He closed his eyes again and took a deep, content breath as he snuggled closer to the radiator of his warmth, he figured it was the blanket, till he bumped his knee into something that was definitely not the back of the couch. His eyes shot open and was faced with Heero, who was still lying next to him. He rolled his eyes as he remembered last night, how could he forget? Was this not something he had always dreamed of, sleeping next to Heero, waking up next to Heero. He looked at the other pilot and noted with a frown that he was already awake and staring at him. The sun made his skin pale and his eyes an even intenser shade of blue. Before drowning into those depthless pools he forced himself to snap out of it and he grinned at Heero.

'Goodmorning.'

'Goodmorning.'

'How long have you been awake?'

Heero shrugged and looked away 'A while.'

He couldn't help but smirk at the thought that Heero had been watching him. He just hoped he hadn't drooled... that would be embarrassing. He stretched, feeling joints pop with a somewhat satisfying feeling. He yawned one last time before declaring: 'We should get out.'

'Hn.'

Duo smiled goofily as he noticed Heero's reluctance to get out of bed. 'Come on sleepyhead.' He jumped off the couch and pulled Heero along with him.

'Goodmorning.'

They turned to find Trowa watching them from his seat near the frontdoor, his expression was thoughtful. 'Goodmorning.' They replied as one.

Trowa nodded and got out of his seat, placing the chair back at the dining table to prevent Frank from noticing their distrust. His next stop was Quatre's bed, he checked his temperature and his pulse.

'How's he doing?'

'The same...' Trowa let out with in a sigh.

'Well, he'll be fine, we'll be in the city soon.' He looked around at the others 'We'll all be fine.'

'Since when did you turn back into the optimist?' WuFei, who was just crawling out of bed, asked.

Duo felt his cheeks burn at the memory of his little, no major breakdown. It was just hard to distinguish what his real feeling were as he had been cloaking up his true emotions for so long with an ever present smile. Well, he might have been pessimistic about their chances before but now he saw things a little brighter, after all, they had showered, slept in a real bed, well, most of them and soon they would be out of here. What could go wrong? Rescue was certain in his eyes. Nothing but a fingerlength away.

They all whipped around when the frontdoor quietly opened. Taking their stance ready to defend themselves as military instincts kicked in.

The door opened and Frank revealed himself. When he noticed they were all awake he called cheerfully: 'Goodmorning!'

Duo was the only one to respond 'Good morning.' He just figured he had been quiet because he didn't want to wake him up. Of course the others have different ideas about him sneaking in.

'Are you guys hungry? I make a mean omelet.' Frank said with pride as he shed his raincoat and his extra sweater. He hurriedly went to the kitchen and started cooking.

Though Heero was normally not one to look for company, for he wasn't the best of company himself, Heero offered to help him with preparing breakfast. Frank accepted 'Hailey's' help gratefully, not realising Heero only wanted to help so he could check which ingedients went into Frank's 'mean omelet'.

Duo appointed himself with the task of setting the table. But there was no moving WuFei nor Trowa. WuFei plopped down on the couch Duo and Heero had slept on, probably angry because his vision was still too poor for him to be of any help and Trowa remained nailed at Quatre's side.

'You can try give him some milk.' Frank said, handing Trowa a glass of said white liquid. 'It's the best we can get into him.'

Trowa nodded and served the cold milk to Quatre's lips. After a few moments of struggling and coaxing, he got the blonde swallowing most of the content of the glass. Fluids were the only thing that they could get succesfully into him.

'Mwuhahaha, behold my master piece!' Frank said with a strange voice that made Duo smile as the man filled all five plates with a large, very nicely smelling, omelet.

At seeing Heero's curt nod, it was okay to eat it, so none of them wasted any time and dug in. Table manners were set aside as Frank also didn't bother with etiquette.

'You are right, that was a masterpiece!' Duo called out conetnly, rubbing his belly through his shirt after eating the omelet in record time. He and Frank were the only one that already finished the food. WuFei and Trowa were almost done but Heero had more difficulty as breathing through his nose did not bring enough oxygen to his battered lungs and he refused to chew with his mouth open, even though Duo honestly wouldn't mind. Those things seized to matter after sleeping in mud, trees and eating beans out of a can with your dirty fingers, happily licking off the mud as well that had absorbed the taste of the beans. They seized to matter after walking around in the same underwear for over a week and stealing dusty, ugly clothes but wearing them gratefully.

Yeah, but try getting that into Yuy's thick skull.

He just settled for taking a break after each mouthful, sucking in as much as possible.

'You okay son?' Frank asked and laying a hand on Heero's shoulders.

Of course Heero pulled away and he nodded, a plain lie but no one commented on it. Knowing very well Heero did not like having his weaknesses pointed out for him and angering him would not help his condition.

'Frank, I was wondering if you would mind leaving for the city today, instead of tomorrow. Our friend really needs to go to a hospital.' Trowa said.

Frank looked thoughtful 'well, that's a possibility but we'll only be able to leave halfway through the day because it does take some preparing. Ya know, packing a tent and all, it usually takes me two and a half days to get there.'

'That's alright, but we can leave today, we can help with the preparations.'

'Yes, we can leave today, but I really need no help, no offence but I know my way around and you guys would only be in my way.' He rose from his seat 'If you guys clear the table I'll go get the engine of the jeep started and pack our necessities.' With that he left through the frontdoor.

'Don't say it.' Duo said before Heero could open his mouth to comment on the fact that it was strange he didn't want their help and that he was suddenly so eager to leave the house. 'We have to remember that this guy is helping us out a lot, okay?'

'That might be but it's nice to have an escape plan in case he is who I fear he is... Before we leave I want to check the tires.'

'Why?'

'Remember the tire tracks we saw next to body pit? If the print is a match we should seriosuly think of a way to overpower him.'

They nodded in agreement, though Duo was a bit reluctant even though his body had steeled at the remembrance of the tracks. He had really gotten to like Frank, even though they barely knew him there seemed to be nothing wrong with the guy. But maybe that was just him being TOO optimistic. He just hated the fact that as a soldier there was no one they could trust... he reckoned that, if not afraid, he would be sad to find out Frank was the murderer, he had a personality that resembled his own...

In silence they cleaned the dishes, Heero didn't help, he said in one of the chairs staring into thin air, probably planning battle strategies in case Frank could not be trusted.

Once done with the dishes they sat down next to Heero and waited for his conclusion.

'Duo, I want you to sit up front, you are relatively in the best shape, so you'll be the first line of defense. Trowa will sit in the middle in the back with me and WuFei on either side, Quatre can lay in our laps. If something happens and Duo is unable to take over the wheel from Frank, Trowa grabs Quatre and we jump out okay? No matter how fast the car is going. Duo, it's your job to get his gun, which I assume he'll take with him.'

'Then what?'

'If you have the gun we shoot Frank.'

Duo swallowed he didn't feel like killing him, though he was sure he would be capable if he was SURE Frank was responsible for all the death in that pit. But for some reason he didn't feel like it would go that far, he trusted frank, maybe because he was so much like him, so outgoing.

'If we shoot we must remember not to damage the car, because that's our ticket to freedom.'

'If the tires match, shouldn't we just overpower him immediately?'

'It's best to wait till we're in the car, give him the illusion that we don't know. That gives us the element of surprise. Also he can't hold the gun while steering.'

They nodded. So, the plan had been made but they couldn't help but feel nervous. Gundam pilots or not, they were facing a six foot tall big guy with a gun...

At two O'clock Frank came into the house and they all looked up hopeful, thinking it was time to leave, but instead, Frank had a job for them. Outside a tent was laid out flat on the ground, next to was a blue bag.

'You have to fold the cavas and put it in that bag, along with the supports.'

That was an easy job for a gundam pilot and they were finished within half an hour, despite the fact that it was a big tent and only a small bag in comparison. Once done Duo could feel Heero's anxiety to walk to the shed next to the house and check the tires. As he saw his partner moving towards it, he joined in, he signaled the others to stay behind.

Duo felt his heart pumping frantically as they neared the shed. Parked inside was a large, roofless white jeep and Frank was rummaging through a crate next to it.

'Can we help out?' Duo asked, blocking Franks view to give Heero the ability to inspect the tires unseen.

Frank looked up startled but his face quickly wore a smile 'No, I got it all covered. We'll be able to leave in less than hour.'

'You got the jeep working? I'm good with cars ya know.' Duo pointed out with a smile and leaned against the white jeep.

Frank shook his head and rose, a little out of breath, 'Nope, everything is fine, I didn't expect it to work after not being used for so long but she purred like a kitten.'

Duo nodded, taking in his sweaty form he had already noticed when he came to ask them for help. If the car worked just fine, what had he been doing that made him sweat so much? His eyes never wavered towards suspicious as he kept a friendly smile. 'So, what have ya all packed?'

'Some food and a few jerrycans with water... a spare tire... the tent... that's about it.'

Again Duo didn't comment on the fact that that could have been done in a total of an hour, while he had been busy from eight in the morning till two in the afternoon. Suspicious... he groaned inwardly, he really didn't want Frank to be a bad guy. When he was old he wanted to look back at this war and say to his grandchildren, if he ever got those being bisexual edging towards homosexual: 'Well, us Gundam pilots didn't do all of it ourselves ya know. We met a lot of nice people who helped us out a lot. We wouldn't have made it if not for them.' Thusfar Hilde was the only person on that list. He didn't even concider putting Relena on it.

He looked back, peeking behind the jeep where Heero had crouched down, but now his friend was no where in sight. Nodding to himself he turned back to Frank. 'Well, if you need no help I might as well stop bothering you.'

Frank nodded and watched Duo retreat.

'And?' Duo asked after coming back into the house and finding Heero sitting on the couch, looking a bit dazed and hopeless.

'The tires don't match.' He breathed out.

'Well, I did find something suspicious. It took him six hours to pack some food and water, how weird is that?'

WuFei nodded 'That left him with five hours to pick his nose...'

'He said we'd be ready to leave in less than an hour.'

Heero rose and walked towards the front door 'I'm going to snoop around. If Frank comes in say I'm in the bathroom, I'll climb back in through the bathroom window.'

Duo merely nodded and watched Heero go. He still prayed they all had it wrong but despite the tires, thus far things weren't looking good for Franks credibility. 


	13. Chapter 13

The Forsaken

Chapter Thirteen

They sat in silence in the livingroom for half an hour just listening to the ticking of the clock and their own loud breathing. Duo rocked in the rocking chair, staring into thin air, thunderclouds were rolling in, making everything turn dark, but none of them offered to switch on the lights as they just sat there with their own thoughts and prayers about how this day would end up. How they would end up.

They all jumped as Frank practically stormed in through the frontdoor still bearing a smile. The sight of his silhouette standing in the doorway, holding his hunting gun made them feel uneasy. 'Well guys, it's all set, we're ready to go.' He scanned their faces. 'Where's Hailey?'

'In the bathroom.'

'Oh, well, tell him we're already in the car, we can wait for him outside.'

They looked at each other and nodded, not daring to protest with Frank standing there holding a three foot long rifle. Trowa gently lifted Quatre out of the bed and guided WuFei. Duo made an act of standing in front of the bathroom door and called: 'Hailey, everything's done we'll wait for you in the car, okay?'

Of course no answer came.

Frank frowned.

Duo laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly and walked away, guiding them outside. 'He must be... busy.' He joked.

Frank laughed mirtfully and they walked to the car that was parked right up front. He climbed in the driversseat and smiled at Duo who jumped in next to him. Trowa took his position in the center of the backseat with WuFei on his left side.

Seconds later Heero walked through the frontdoor and skittered down the stairs, his expression as unreadable as ever as he neared the car and sat down in the back seat behind Duo.

Duo wasn't sure if he looked so intense because he was pissed off at the fact that he was wrong and Frank could be trusted, since Heero's gaze was always intense, or if he found soemthing that proved franks guilt. However, these oh so clever Gundam pilots never thought of a signal to let the others know if he was guilty or not. They hadn't accounted for the fact that Frank might be accompanying them when Heero returned.

So they were all on high alert, just in case, as Frank sped off. But, much to Duo's surprise the ride was uneventful and for the first time he wasn't the one to carry the conversation. Frank happility chattered away about just about everything, the speed in which his words followed up the previous broke even Duo's record. Once in a while Frank looked at the others through the rear view mirror, but he could be doing that just to check on how Quatre was doing.

Due to their speed it was a bumpy ride as they ran right over the roots they previously had been so careful to avoid. He was almost grateful this car had no roof or else they would have a concussion by now, he could feel the safety belt slightly digging into his waist in a way that went far beyond comfortable. He loosened it only to have his thumb caught between his body and the belt as Frank raced over a rock.

'Wow, try not to kill us.' The words were out before he even concidered them and he bit his lip. He gazed at frank who's happy expression never changed.

'Sorry there.' The next time he avoided big rocks and large roots. Dodging in between the trees.

Duo gripped the armrest built into the door as he feared each time they would crash right into a tree, but each time Frank managed to steer past them with a skill that would suggest he drove this car more often that he claimed.

The whole day, till the sun started to set, the clouds were threateningly black, but nothing ever came down other then the occasional roar from afar.

'That's enough for today.' Frank concluded and the jeep came to a sudden halt. 'Let's use the last moments of daylight to set up the tent.'

They climbed out and all helped to erect the massive tent that could house eight people if they didn't mind lying snug next to eachother. With an automatic pump six air-beds were inflated and covered with relative thin, but wool sheets. 'There was no room for any pillows.' Frank explained as he closed the trunk while Duo was staring at the pillowless beds lying spread out in the tent. Three on the left, three on the right. Half a meter in between each of them. The tent didn't allow more distance than that. Duo was very annoyed to notice Frank never wavered far from his rifle. During the ride he figured he should unload the gun, taking out the bullets so if Frank attempted to fire, the only thing that would happen was a pang resounding through the air, but nothing else. But he never had the opportunity. He got close once, but there was not enough time to empty the two-bullet cartridge.

Trowa was tending Quatre in the tent, with WuFei blindly staring at them.

Frank was outside, humming a merry tune as he got a fire going with the wood Duo helped gathering, but Frank never went far enough to lose sight of the tent or his rifle.

He needed to talk to Heero, who had been quiet today even for his standard. Something must be off, he must have found something.

With Frank crouched before the campfire, occupied with his own made up song and poking a blackened stick in the fire, shuffling the firewood around, Duo took the opportunity to join Heero who was busy hammering the last tent pin deep into the ground. Being behind the tent, out of Franks eyesight and out of hearing reach Duo whispered:

'Heero, Heero.' Trying to get his attention. However, he had to wait for Heero to finish hammering the thing in the soil before he got any of his attention.

Heero straintened, the hammer dangling losely in his hand as he looked at Duo.

'Well, did you find anything in the shed?' he asked with trepidation.

'No.' Heero bed down to give another pin once last stroke of his hammer.

Duo sighed in relief, 'so he's cool?'

'I wasn't finished.' Heero said firmly, he stepped closer, to be sure no one overheard their conversation. They listened for a while and Heero refused to talk till he detected Franks cheerful humming. 'I found nothing in the shed. But when I circled around it I found something very interesting hidden behind it in the bushes.'

Duo waited with a Frantic heartbeat. The humming seemed to become more evil by the second as he had to wait for Heero to elaborate.

'Tires. A set of four tires, with different profiles than the ones currently on the car.' He paused and with a cold look he finished: 'The same profiles as the one we found near the body pit.'

'Shit.' Duo buried his hands in his hair. For a long while Duo was just silent and stood there with his hands on his head, turning and shifting. 'It explains why he had been busy for so long. But... that doesn't mean anything, right?' He practically begged Heero to agree with him.

'It's no proof, but it's strange, especially since he failed to mention that he changed the tires, he hid the tires and he denied any knowledge of the pit.'

'You reckon he's...?'

Heero looked at the tent, as if he could see through it and spot Frank sitting on the other side of it. His humming had turned into singing. 'It crossed my mind.' He sarcastically replied.

'Great moment to develop sarcasm Yuy.'

'I apologise.' He said genuinely, knowing this was not a time to joke.

'What next?'

'We find a way to tell the others and we overpower Frank when he's sleeping. We can't wait for him to proof to us that's he's the murderer.'

With a single nod Duo agreed and they walked back to Frank.

Frank turned and looked at them with a wicked grin, the light of the fire dancing across his face, making eery shadows. Still, all Duo could see was this kind man that had saved their lives... He felt the need to punch something till his fists were bloody and his arms were sore.

He sucked in a deep breath as Frank kept his grin on them.

'What were you boys doing behind the tent, huh?' Came the mocking voice, a tad of Evil hinting in it.

He felt Heero tense beside him and Heero raised his hammer a little bit, ready to open the skull of this man and hammer his brains out.

Frank shook his head at their perplexed and threatened looks. 'No worries. Like I said, I'm not homophobic. Though it surprises me, since your so head over heels in love with Peter, according to Willy.'

Duo almost released a sigh of relief. To keep up the act he wrapped his arms aroud Heero's shoulder, noticing the extreme tension in him that didn't lessen with him hugging him. 'Yeah... well Willy thinks he's funny, Peter is history.' With a smile he took the opportunity to plant a sloppy kiss on Heero's burning cheek. Was he having a fever? He grinned as he saw the bright red blush spreading across his face. Wow, what a moment to have a first kiss, or so to speak, in the company or a serial killer... romantic. Well, at least there was candlelight... or something akin to that. He stared at the flames, it never crossed his mind to let Heero go.

'Well, I'm happy for you guys. Guess we have to push your beds together huh?'

'No, that won't be necessary.' Heero firmly spoke and twisted free out of Duo's grasp and disappeared into the tent, slightly disappointing his 'boyfriend'.

Duo shrugged 'Guess I have to take a cold shower. Thanks for being cool about it.' He sat down across from Frank to keep an eye on him while he was certain Heero was informing the others. He strategically separated them with the flames. He tried to look as friendly as possible but he felt his palms turning sweaty with anxiety and his muscles were tense, ready to strike and strangle. His anger was fuelled by the fact that Frank had been so helpful and compassionate and kind, while all the while he had planned murdering them...

He was handed a cup of coffe by Frank, he took it, but didn't dare to put the brew into his mouth so he used it only to warm his hands. Frank frowned at his reluctance to drink, but kept silent. His eyes were a little less friendly. Duo cursed himself, he shouldn't betray their knowledge, if Frank found out they knew about him they lost the element of surprise and then they'd be severly disadvantaged.

'So, endangered deers huh?' He questioned, trying to get a conversation started as he always did.

Frank nodded and sipped his own mug 'Yeah, hunters come down here to shoot them, it's sorta a local tradition, but... being done for hundred of years the deers didn't really thrive ya know, so now it's illegal and I gotta catch them crooks.'

'Ah... So... how come you have a stuffed deer head hanging on your wall?' He hid the fact that he was in the current business of thoroughly hating his traiterous mouth and sipped his coffee too, assuming it would be alright since Frank drank the same coffee, coming from the same pot. He didn't dare to look at him but he could feel him tense.

Frank however decided to ignore the question. 'How does being a soldier suit you? No offence but it's hard to picture you as a soldier.' There was something gleaming in his eyes that made Duo frown inwardly.

'Well, that's part of my job. I mostly do undercover.' He hid behind his mug again.

Frank just nodded and drank as well.

An uncomfortable silence followed, but that could be expected when one was sharing coffee and a campfire with a serial killer. It's just as uncozy as one would think.

Frank gabbed his stick again and shuffled the burning wood. Sparks flew towards Duo, making him jump back, not that denim would catch fire easily but he had little faith in the materials his shirt was made of.

'Is this your regular camping spot?'

Frank looked up, for an instant he resembled a cornered wild animal, but it was soon covered by innocent surprise. 'Why?'

Duo shrugged and looked away as he spoke softly 'I couldn't help but notice the scattered remains of previous fires.' He eyes settled on a blackened branch lying not far from them. He also couldn't help but challenge Frank, even though he should be acting all innocent. He just couldn't help but voice all the holes he had spotted in Franks act.

'Well, I've been here so long I must have camped out on every square feet by now.'

'Don't you get lonely?'

'Yes... I do.' Again this strange gleam danced in his eyes and Duo was certain it wasn't just the flames tricking his eyesight.

'Wanna come for stroll?' Frank suddenly said as he rose to his feet and grabbed the bag that contained his gun, a bag he carried everywhere, swung casually over his shoulder.

Duo shook frantically, he couldn't help hismelf, it just struck him how big the guy truly was as he towered over him like that. 'No...' he said after a while, after he was finally able to stop shaking his head. 'I'm too tired.' He lied, fear, gut feeling and adrenaline kept him wide awake.

'Suit yourself.' Frank disappeared in the darkness.

The American pilot followed his retreating form as wiped the sweat of his brow and caught sight of Heero standing in the opening of the tent. He too watched him leave before turning to Duo and mouthing: 'Follow him.'

Duo nodded and rose reluctantly. He was nervous about going alone, though he and Heero too, knew very well that he was the master of stealth and he could be far more silent going alone then if for example the wheezing Heero came along. Like a panther he followed Franks vaguely detectable form after a while he solely had to rely on the sounds made by his jeans as he walked. When the camp was long out of sight Frank stopped, he had been looking around, obviously searching something and now he had apparently found it. With his gaze fixed somewhere in the tree for a while he dropped his bag and pulled out the gun.

Duo watched as he opened it and cursed as the gun had been empty, but now Frank placed two bullets in each barrel and closed it with a frightening and familiar click.

He bit his lips to the point where he drew blood, tasting the metallic blood on his tongue that came out to lick it up, preventing it from running down his cheek. Frank was going to murder them and he was going to murder them NOW. Once done loading his gun Frank walked on, probably to keep up the illusion of going on an innocent stroll.

Duo's body screamed that he should go back to warn the others, but first he HAD to see what Frank had been looking for.

He traced his footsteps in the dark, standing in his track to prevent from leaving any himself. When he stood on the exact place Frank had stopped he looked around. He was standing in a perfect circle of trees. He looked up to scan the eight or nine trees surrounding them, looking for whatever Frank had been looking for. When his eyes caught sight of something hanging on the lowest branch, about two and a half meter high, on every tree his breathing hitched and he leaned forward, covering his mouth with his hand as he gagged and threatened to vomit. He sagged to his knees and felt nightmares and screams haunt him as he realised something terrible:

It hadn't just been a dream!

Now, I have to remind you that if I don't suck at writing drama, romance, lemon or angst than I suck at Horror (yes yes, I know Flamers, I suck at all of them).

Again this chap was not spellchecked, sorry for that, I promise I'll start sending them to my beta reader soon again, I promise.

C.W.

PS: I don't think the next chap will be up soon since I'm not entirely certain if I like the way how things turn out. 


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